Dance with the Devil
by Speklez
Summary: A teenager on a class trip gets caught in the crossfire when an unrepentant vampire grows bored and decides a little mischief is in order to stir things up in the world. Rated for language
1. Chapter 1

**Well, hello there... Here we go again, eh?**

 **We all know I don't own these characters. HOWEVER... I do fully take credit for this plot.**

 **~Speklez**

Chapter 1

Isabella Swan sat back in her cushy first class seat and closed her eyes with a sigh. 'This really is awesome. Guess the asshole was right when he said I needed to experience the finer things in life'.

The look of peaceful contentment that was present on her face morphed into a darker scowl at the thought of her ex. In her, admittedly, slightly biased opinion there were not enough mean and foul names to call him. To think that he believed himself to be so much better than her that he would say that she was not good enough for him. If anything, because he said that, it proved the exact opposite. That was her stance anyways and she didn't give two flying fucks if it made her sound like a bitch because of it. She spent the better part of a year of her young life bending over backwards to please the son of a bitch just for him to turn around and leave her because she expressed her EXTREME displeasure at him once again disregarding her wants.

'It was MY god damned birthday anyways. If anything, or anyone, had a say in how it was spent you would think that it would be ME'. An impressive growl sounded from her throat at the memory of the huge fight they had because she flat out refused to attend a party his family, his sister more precisely, put together for her even after she repeatedly said no.

 **Flashback**

 _It was a rainy day, as it always is in Forks, and there was an even more powerful storm brewing in the normally passive teen. Edward, her boyfriend, had just informed her that he would be picking her up in three hours to take her to his house for her party when he walked her inside after school. She could feel her eye tic as that announcement registered in her brain. She ran the words over in her mind a few times to make sure that she did in fact hear them and was not getting upset because she THOUGHT she did. Once she was sure, beyond doubt, that he had informed her that her desires were once again being ignored, her normally bright brown eyes darkened to hardened dark chocolate, her normally passive heart shaped face pinched into a mask of pure fury._

" _Fuck no." Her boyfriend was so shocked at the phrase that he was unable to respond. That was perfect and exactly what she was going for. "I told you, many times that one, I DIDN'T want a party and two, I already HAD plans for tonight and was not, under any circumstances changing them and I good and god damn meant it."_

 _Edward stared at her for a moment as his shock wore off and a look of displeasure settled on his face. "Isabella, you shouldn't use such language. It is deplorable for a lady to speak like that." She simply raised a disbelieving brow at him. THAT is what he chose to say? Before she had a chance to respond to the reprimand, He continued, "That aside, you need to be reasonable about this. Alice worked so hard to put this together for you and you have the obligation to go if for no other reason than she took the time do so."_

 _Jaw dropping, she stared at him in shock before finding her voice. "Here's the thing. I told her not to so I have no obligation to do shit. It is in no way my fault she didn't listen and, as always, did what she wanted no matter my opinion on the topic. I am not going and there is nothing you can do to make me. I have dinner plans with my parents and I am not breaking them. Not for you, not for her and most certainly not for a party that I repeatedly said I didn't want."_

 _She saw his eyes flash, but didn't flinch. He took a deep breath before changing his tone and speaking again in a tone she had always caved to. "Bella, Love, we don't get to throw parties often and…"_

 _Snorting, she shook her head before looking him in the eyes, "Edward, there are five teens in your house, one of which is so incredibly vain that she would expect a party for starting her period, that I highly doubt that parties of any sort are not common place and if they are not then your parents are not who I thought they were if they would consent to have a party for an effective stranger and not for the kids they put so much effort into adopting. That aside, I am still not going and do not expect me to feel bad about it. If you would have listened to me in the first damn place then we would not even be having this discussion."_

 _Though she thought she heard a growl, she dismissed it as Edward spoke up again. "Isabella, this is not a discussion, this is the way it is. You are going, you are going to put a smile on your face and you ARE going to say thank you to my sister for her effort."_

 _Both brows shot to her hairline at the declaration before she snorted hard and started to laugh. When she settled slightly she looked at him with disdain clear in her eyes even as she continued to snicker, "I'm sorry, I thought I just heard you order me to do something. I must have misheard you just now because I know that could not possibly have just occurred. You don't ORDER me to do anything, EVER, you ask and I consent or don't. As it stands however, I am not, not now or ever, going to your house for a party in my honor and I don't care how your family reacts to my absence. You can also give whatever gifts were gotten for me to charity because I distinctly remember telling you, and everyone else, not to get me anything and I know you did."_

 _Blinking at her, Edward said nothing for a moment before he got a blank look on his face. "It would appear that you aren't the girl I thought you were if you are going to throw something like this back in my sister's face. She spent days planning this and my parents spent all day getting everything together and decorating the house for you and you are not even going to show up." Shaking his head, his mouth turned into a nasty scowl. "If you can so simply disregard my family then you are not good enough to associate with us. We have gone out of our way to make you feel welcome and one of us and you do something like this with no regret."_

 _Crossing her arms, she jutted her hip out. "You're damn right I don't have any regret. I have nothing to regret because this should never have happened. It wouldn't have happened and your feelings wouldn't be hurt if you would have just listened to me instead of thinking that I cared about something as mundane as a birthday party. I have a birthday tradition that I partake in every year and just because I have a boyfriend does not mean that I am going to ignore 18 years of dinner with my parents and frolic off to participate in something I don't feel comfortable doing. I don't want to be spoiled by you and your family. I don't want your family buying me things I have no need for. And I, in no way, want to disappoint my OWN parents to make YOUR'S happy. Not going to happen and you need to accept it."_

 _He crossed his arms and glared at her, "If you don't go then we are done. I do not want anything to do with someone that is not gracious enough to just show up for something that my family put so much time and effort into on their behalf."_

 _Trying not to show how much that shocked her and how much it pissed her off, she gave a shrug, "I already have plans and I am not breaking them. If you are going to throw away our relationship over it, so be it but I am not going."_

 _The shock on his face at her words made her laugh, but she swallowed it fast enough. She meant what she said and was not going to back down from her wants just to appease him. She was of the opinion that had he just fucking listened to her in the first place, this wouldn't be an issue. Another thing was she did not like being blackmailed and was not going to stand for it. Being forced to choose between her parents and someone else's it was a no-brainer in her book. Though she loved the Cullen's this was unacceptable and she was steadfast in her choice. She had not seen her mother since she moved across the country and was not going to pass up the opportunity to see her just because Edward was throwing a hissy fit. This was his own doing as far as she was concerned and as she had been told many times in her life when she made a mistake, you made your bed, now you have to lie in it._

 _Once Edward got over his shock, he glared HARD at her. "So be it then. If you will not come to your senses and do the right thing I want nothing to do with you. We're done Isabella."_

 _Turning to the door and opening it up, she gave a wave of her hand, "Don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya." As Edward stomped past her and out the door, there was no love lost when he walked passed. Before she closed the door she remembered something, "Oh, and bring my stuff to school tomorrow. If you don't, I burn everything I have of yours."_

 **End Flashback**

It was actually Rose, even though she had already graduated, that handed her the box of crap the next morning, her eyes full of mirth and a touch of respect. No words were said as the exchange was made, but it was not done in discomfort. With a corresponding nod to each other, they went their own ways and that was that. No fanfare, no disdain, no nothing that she would have expected from the one member of the family that she was positive hated her. The reason became apparent why when she found out that Edward didn't even attend school that day. Had she cared more she might have asked why when she briefly spoke to Jasper, who found the entire situation beyond hilarious, that afternoon when he picked up Alice, but it honestly had not crossed her mind to do so.

Every time she thought over her fight with him that day she kept balking at the statement he made about doing the right thing. How in the blue blazes was her not going to a party and out to dinner with her parents on her birthday not the right thing? No matter the relationship between her parents, her birthday was the one day a year that the white flag was waved and they tolerated each other long enough to enjoy a nice dinner and indulge her in a night of family time. Not even Renee's new husband Phil interfered in their tradition and insist that Renee attend his ball game instead of her dinner and wife trumps girlfriend in the demand department.

What she was having the hardest time with in the whole thing was him basically saying that his parents were better and more important than hers. It was a laughable thought and she got quite the mental chuckle from it. She might have adored the Cullen's but they were not her family and therefore didn't have the right to disregard her wishes in such a blatant way. If HER parents would have pulled something like that she would have gone, albeit under duress, but would have indulged them. She owed no such loyalty to the Cullen's and she would be damned to be made to feel bad over the situation.

It had taken Edward nearly a week to get over the apparently huge disappointment that she made as a girlfriend and return to school. They had a lot of classes together and the term awkward didn't even come close to describing the situation. It didn't help matters that she still didn't feel bad about refusing to go to the party and made no move to apologize for it. It was apparent within the first three minutes of crossing paths that he expected her to be a blubbering idiot about their breakup and beg him to take her back.

It would snow in hell first.

When he figure out that she was still not going to repent and see things his way he threw a temper tantrum that would make any three year old proud, stopping just short of throwing himself on the ground and beating it with his fists and feet. All she did was cock a brow, snort, shake her head and walk away with shaking shoulders; being kind enough to at least go around the corner to start laughing her ever loving ass off. She knew he could hear her still but felt it would soften the blow a bit if he couldn't SEE it. It was days before she could look at him with a straight face after that, her mind replaying his display in colorful detail, adding in little thought bubbles of the surrounding classmates here and there when she was bored or simply to amuse herself when the class was working on something that she had already done. Having taken honors and AP classes in her old school, even as a senior this year, there were things that she had already covered so paying attention was not necessary that early in the year.

Once the amusement ran its course, things got really interesting. Edward would make a snide remark and she would respond in kind. It would get to the point that one or the both of them would be kicked out of class for disrupting the valued learning experience. The third time Charlie was called because of the issues, he finally pried out of her the reason that her and Edward seemed to be so hostile to each other. When she finally introduced him to the Edward of her birthday her daddy was not a happy bunny. He was actually more pissed off about the callousness than she was because in truth, she didn't care. When she got down to the nitty gritty of the class disturbances and why they were happening in the first place, her father marched into the school office and demanded her classes be changed around so she was not put in that situation any longer and had an almost nuclear reaction when Dr. Cullen showed up for a meeting that was called between him and the principal due to Edward's disturbing behavior. She tried to keep a straight face when her father got going but she had never heard such language from her father nor had she ever heard certain words paired together in such a way. There was even a point that she was sure that he was just making up words that sounded bad just for the benefit of continuing his rampage. Carlisle glanced at her, she assumed to get her father to knock it off, but she just smirked at him and crossed her arms.

No one fucked with daddy's little girl.

In the end she was taken out of all the classes she shared with her ex, even getting a different locker that was farther away from Edward's to appease the pissed off chief of police, and placed in classes that were, in her opinion, far more suited to her interests. Yes, there were still requirements that she had to take but they were just at different times than Edward had them. The only time she saw him was when she had lunch since there was only one lunch period, but he sat on the other side of the room and she was too immersed in talking with her other friends to pay him much mind. The same couldn't be said about Edward, however. He attempted to turn the only time they were forced to spend together into a battle of wits and remarks that Bella would indulge him in and then turn him into the laughing stock of the school with only a few words and offhand statements before slipping seamlessly back into conversation with her friends.

It was because she changed classes that she found herself on the plane she was on. She was placed in a folklore and mythology class. Who would have thought that something like that was offered at her school? She loved it and it quickly became her favorite class. It was currently their Spring vacation and her mythology class was going to Romania for the week. There was literally myth and legend under every rock and behind every tree in that country. They were even going to visit 'Dracula's' castle one day this week. That was the part she was looking most forward to. Vampires were her favorite mythological creature, next to dragons, and to go to the home of the most famous vampire in existence was an opportunity of a lifetime and one she was nearly salivating over.

Bringing herself out of her thoughts, she looked out the window and down at the lights of the city below. They were still over soil so it was nothing she had not seen before, but was far too excited to sleep, despite the late hour. They had ten more hours on the plane before their connecting flight in Italy so she had plenty of time to catch some sleep between now and then. They had quite a long layover so her teacher arranged for a tour of a city about an hour away from the small airport they were landing at that was also, according to her text book, smothered in myth and legend. They were going to partake in a festival that was thrown every year for a guy they named a saint for dispelling vampires centuries ago by the name of Marcus. Personally she thought the name Hellsing was a far better name for a vampire exterminator, but that was something that she was sure to hear about in Romania so she could settle for Saint Marcus if she had to.

Pulling her iPod out of her backpack, she put her headphones on and let the sound of her music lull her into a sedate state as her mind drifted to all that she was going to see and experience on her trip and prayed that it was as fun as she hoped it was going to be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Stretching out in his throne, a young looking man with short, spiked up black hair and bright red eyes groaned deep in his throat before slouching and nearly finding himself on the ground. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friend of many eons sitting as regal as always, head held high and looking down his nose at… you guessed it, nothing. There was always nothing. The only time there was any sort of excitement in their lives was when there was a guided tour of the grounds and even that not always included the room they were in. It was getting repetitive and on his nerves if he were honest. He very much enjoyed fucking with the humans that came through the hall, letting them look at him then change his position slightly and freak them the fuck out when they looked back. It was the only source of entertainment he had and he wanted to do it more often.

This was not always the case. Centuries upon centuries ago he was a god; well not a god per say, but damn close to it. He did as he pleased and answered to no one. The masses and populous coward at his feet, blood flowed freely for him to bathe in if that was his choice and he was as unrepentant as you could get about the havoc and mayhem and destruction and death that he caused. That was the problem; he WAS. Well, he IS still unrepentant about it, that wouldn't change. HE was the vampire that struck fear at his name, but it was the son of a bitch next to him that got the glory for it. Vladimir was given title Dracula but it was HIS actions that were talked about all these centuries. Vladimir was a laid back kind of guy, preferring to let others do his bidding and dirty work. That was fine with him; that was the kind of shit he LIVED for, that he CRAVED with every fiber of his being.

Turning to look at the other occupant of the room, he cocked his head to the side, "Do you ever get tired of just sitting here, day after day and doing NOTHING?"

The other vampire slowly turned to glance at him a moment before a slight rise of his shoulders answered his question. "I see no purpose in indulging in frivolous escapades. We are above the need to do so."

Raising a brow at the blatant dismissal Stefan shook his head. "Truly? You see no point in indulging of any kind? Surely there is something that you long to do that cannot be done with your hide in that chair."

He watched as Vladimir slowly raised a brow at him, "Do you speak of your own indulgences in frightening the humans that come through here?"

Drawing his brow, Stefan nodded, "Among other things, Yes."

Face black, "They are pawns, nothing but cattle to slaughter. Why would I lower myself to such a disgracing low as to play with my food?"

Snorting, Stefan shook his head, "You like to think so highly of yourself don't you. Have you forgotten my old friend that it was I that earned you the name and place of eternal legend? Was it not I that fought in your place in that war? Was it not I that placed the whole of a fortress on spikes for the world to see? Was it not I that bathed in the blood of virgin maidens for the simple fact that I could? And that my friend was BEFORE my change. You have taken what should be mine so the absolute least you could do is not speak to me in such a manner. Though we are friends you live because I allow it and what is more is you know it."

There was a spark in Vladimir's eyes but he said nothing as he turned his head back and away from the truth of the words that rang in the air. Though the credit was given to him, it was in fact the man beside him that was the actual culprit of the crimes that he was famous for. Though he didn't care or covet the fame and such that came with his bloody past, Stefan was in fact the real Dracula.

After a moment's contemplation, he turned back to the, in plain terms, sulking vampire beside him. "Alright Stefan, I shall humor you. What is your desire?"

Repositioning himself in his seat, he rubbed his chin with the side of his finger a moment, "Well, how long has it been since we irritated Aro? Decades I believe have passed since the last time."

A slow smirk lifted the corner of Vladimir's mouth, "I do believe you are correct. What do you have in mind this time?"

A wicked smirk settled on Stefan's face as the perfect idea flashed in his mind, "Is it not time for the Saint Marcus festival? My ears in Italy have informed me that they are planning to receive a group of Americans that he has decided to personally escort through the grounds. What do you think Aro would do if some of them went missing in a city that boasts no vampires on the celebration of the day one of the brother's drove them all away only for them to turn up the way all vampire victims do?"

There was a mocking disciplined tisk on the air, "Feeding in the Royal City is forbidden my friend. Aro will be most angry with you."

Wicked turned sinister, "Ah, but he must catch me first and we both know well that he is inept on a good day. The poor bastard doesn't even realize that his closest and most loyal are not even those to him. So many of his followers are as tired with the boring and mundane as I and long for the days of old when we were more than what we have become. They long for the sun while he is determined to keep us shrouded in shadow. I do believe my old friend, that it is time to show him that we, as you yourself spoke, are above the cattle that gawk and stare."

Vladimir cocked a brow at Stefan as the vampire stood and stretched for no reason, "Tell me Stefan, why does this sound like more than irritating Aro?"

Turning to face the dais he spent far too much time on, a smirk spreading his lips and flashing the deadly teeth beyond, "I do not know of what you speak Dear Vladimir." As he turned and walked away, the cape draped around his shoulders flared out, "I do know, however, that life in the future is going to be far less boring." As the high wooden doors closed, there was a less than civil chuckle on the air that had the remaining vampire shuddering in both anticipation and his spine tingle with an unknown emotion to him; fear.

*X*

Running through the foliage was far more exhilarating than he remembered as he ducked and dodged, leaped over fallen trees or in some cases, right through them if the mood struck. He was currently ten miles from the 'Royal City', standing on a hilltop looking down at the sea of red that flowed through the streets, heard the singing and laughter of the inhabitants. He snorted; it was pathetic in his opinion to gloat over something that never even occurred. You cannot claim fame for something you didn't do and the brother most certainly didn't run the vampire populous from the city walls. He merely relocated them inside and Aro, the fake fuck, keeps them there under the threat of death should they stray from the 'rules and laws'.

It was laughable to think that one person could control a race of monsters that truly care for nothing but their next meal and pleasure of the flesh, not in all cases in that order. The fact that he thinks that he is just shows how unworthy of the position he truly is. The other two are no better but at least they know the truth of the situation. Aro is a fake and cannot see a thing past the end of his own nose and forgets that there is a world around him that moves and changes daily. Truly, Stefan wondered just how long the ruse Aro setup will continue to work. For as lazy as even Vladimir has become, he still leaves the castle to feed.

That was the difference between the two covens. Stefan and Vladimir do not lift a finger to discount the myth of vampires in the world, allowing those that live in, or pass through, their territory to feed to their delight and say nothing; many times joining the visitors in a hunt, himself showing them his favorite places that were sure to cause as much public upset as possible. He is what he is and makes no apologies for it.

Aro and his little band of merry men and leashed followers do the opposite and ban the populous from succumbing to their nature. While he does not shun their food source like a few idiots that he had the interesting pleasure of encountering in the past, he shuns the very idea of working for his food; having it brought to him instead of getting his venom pumping with the prospect of a good hunt and pandemonium.

It was in their very makeup, ingrained in their distorted DNA to lure and entice their prey, to hunt them to madness before ripping out their throats. He failed to see the point of locking a herd of humans in a small room so there is no sport and they have no chance of escape. While a human that a vampire desires has no chance anyways, it is the CHASE that makes the meal worth it, not the sloshy feeling of a full belly and glow of well-fed eyes. It is not the power boost that comes with the draining of a body; it is the personality, the personal touch that you put into the kill that makes the venom sing and a sated vampire purr. Perhaps it was only him that felt such things. Acceptance tasted foul on his tongue. He much preferred the taste of fear.

As his eyes shifted he saw what looked to be a bus close the distance between them and the entrance of the city and a smirk appeared on his face, "That must be them. Felix was right, for a transport of that size there must be many." He was never given an exact number, but was informed that there was a 'bus' escorting them and having seen one of those many times in his own territory, he knew what to look for.

Lifting his hood over his head and drawing his cape across his chest with one hand, he darted from his position to the wall, stopping just short of jumping it. Breathing deep at the feeling of another vampire close to him on the other side, he flicked through the scents he knew to ensure that an unknown variable did not interfere with his intentions. It would not do if some up and coming little bastard informed Aro of his arrival before it was time. Him being downwind kept them from noticing his position so he had all the time in the world to identify the nuisance that stood between him and his plans.

It took him but a moment to figure out that it was one of his so he leapt up to the top of the wall, crouching down so as not be discovered just yet. He was ducking in shadow and his onyx cape covered him so the vampire below him could look right at him and not see. Lifting his head, he gave the area a once over, looking in even the darkest corner to ensure that there were no disruptions before he made his pawn aware of him.

When the other looked up at him, he startled slightly at the sight of glowing red eyes, but Stefan placed his fingers to his lips to silence the other vampire before darting away, crouching low in his trot till he got to where he wanted to be, pausing every so often when one vampire or another showed itself.

Leaping from the wall to the roof of a building, he stalked up to the side that faced the city square and waited, knowing that the Americans had to pass right by him in order to reach their destination of the clock tower where he could plainly see Aro standing in wait for their arrival. Though he appeared to be paying attention to the goings on around him, Stefan was fully aware that he was not, the look in his eyes showing plainly that his thoughts were distracted and he was anywhere but there. Aro as a rule never left the palace so to see him out and about was as shocking as it was comical. All the city inhabitants knew him to be the ruler of the lands and would bow to him, singing his praises and drawing more attention to him. While he would nod his head in acknowledgement, he didn't hear a word they said.

Snorting and shaking his head, he glanced the other way as a group of young ones were herded by Felix, of all people, and lead across the village commons. 'There they are. This is going to be far easier than I thought.' Shaking his head, "truly Aro, you disappoint me yet again. Do you even know what a challenge is any longer?" Taking a moment to pick his targets, he spun on his spot and moved to the side of the building that overlooked an alley. Looking down and seeing and smelling no one, he dropped to the ground, landing with no sound before making his way to the exit. It was an overcast day so, secure in the knowledge that his skin would not reveal his location; he lifted his hood and let it drop to his back and revealing his face.

As the group came closer to his position, their voices started to become clearer and easier to pick out. It was mostly the normal things he has heard for years from those of this age, but there was one voice that rose above the rest, that gently caressed his ears. It sounded like the wind, airy and dismissive to the comments floating around on the breeze.

"Oh, come on you guys. You cannot be that excited about this place. In comparison to the rest of the trip this is like a .2 on the interesting scale."

Looking for the owner of the voice, a hummed purr escaped him as he laid eyes on the speaker. She was the perfect female specimen, even as a human. Flowing dark hair, eyes the deepest and darkest chocolate. Pale and flawless skin encased in black making her features pop out all the more. Perfection in the most literal term.

One of her male traveling companions turned and looked at her, "Really Bella, just because you have this weird obsession with Dracula doesn't mean you can ruin this for the rest of us."

She huffed and crossed her arms, "I do not."

He snorted, "Right, sure you don't.

"I don't. Just because I find truth in the legend and think he is a kick ass mother fucker does not mean I have an obsession unlike you when it comes to all things Aphrodite."

Stefan saw him bristle at her comment and chuckled. "Quite the spitfire aren't you, mea întuneric zeita?"

When he spoke again, there was defense in his voice, "At least my girl is real."

She snorted hard and snickered, "Yeah, I suppose that's true enough, what with all the love you get to bask in worshiping at her feet. Tell me again who Jessica took home from the party last weekend, I don't recall."

Glaring at her, "Uncalled for Bells, WAY uncalled for."

She simply shrugged, "Your point? Don't knock my guy and expect me not to respond to it. Dracula is, in fact, a documented person and while it was never proven that he was in fact a vampire as the legend states he was, he was a LIVING BREATHING person years ago while your girl was not. So excuse me for being more excited about going to Romania than I am to be in Italy."

It was the boy's turn to snort at her, "Yeah, you're right; you're not obsessed at all."

Waiting until he turned around, a smirk appeared on her face before she sneaked-up closer to him and shoved the toes of her foot into the back of his knee making him fall to the ground with a cry. When he turned to glare at her she smiled at him before jumping over his fallen body. As the group passed by him, Felix glanced out of the corner of his eye at Stefan, a mirthful smirk tugging at his lips, his eyes dancing at the conversation that he was well aware that the vampire had been privy to.

'Well, this makes things far more interesting, no?'

He had not expected one of the humans to be so enthralled with him, and while it was Vladimir that was given credit for his deeds over the years, it was him that the young lady seemed to respect and, if her scent spoke truth, adored. Rethinking his plans a little, he made a design to make sure that she knew the truth. While he truly did not care for the fame and such that his friend ate up, this was a different matter. For one such as her, the perfection that she was, she seemed the kind that revered truth over all things, speaking it no matter the way it was taken.

His face lifted to an embolden lit, an anticipation the like of the world never knew.(Not sure what this sentence means.) Yes, he would show her truth and at the same time get his entertainment in irritating the ass that deemed himself his better. Aro had no idea what was coming and Stefan found himself swallowing venom that flooded his mouth as the images flashed before his eyes. A deep chuckle rumbled the air, sending shivers down the spines of the passing teens, some stopping to look for the sound.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Looking around her for the sound that danced on her spine, Bella didn't see anything, but she could very plainly FEEL eyes on her, following her movements. Giving the area one last glance, she paused when her eyes landed on a lone figure in the shadows of an alleyway. Eyes growing wide at the sight, she stared at him as he gazed back, not moving a muscle. He was by far the hottest guy she had ever seen. He didn't look to be all the much older than her, maybe a few years but no more than five at the most. He had black hair that was spiked up. Judging his height from where he came up to on the building she guessed him at just over six foot. Even from the distance between them she could tell he had muscles hidden under his clothes from how they were draped and stretched across his chest and shoulders. He was wearing a long, flowing black cape that danced around his feet in the soft breeze. It was he eyes however that drew her in and wouldn't let go. Bright red rubies stared back at her, drinking in her form as closely as she was drinking in his. He smirked at her, his pearl white teeth flashing in the darkness that seemed to surround him, cling to him and threatened to draw her in as well.

She felt someone move to stand behind her but the presence went ignored as she continued to stare at the dark god like man before her. There was a throat being cleared startling her out of her comatose state and back to herself.

Glancing up at the tour guide that met them at the gate, Felix if memory served her right, looked at her with a raised brow and in a heavily accented speech, "are you alright, giovane?"

Blinking at him, she turned back to the alley and was surprised at the sting of disappointment that the man was not there anymore. Nodding to Felix, "I'm fine thank you."

He crossed his arms, he tilted his head to the side and looked to where she was, knowing fully what it was that had held her attention, "Then what are you looking at?"

Not wanting to look like an idiot and tell the truth, she said the first thing that came to mind, "the buildings. This city is just beautiful."

Though she heard him snort, she didn't comment on it, choosing instead to glance at the mouth of the alley once more before turning and catching up with the rest of her class that was approaching the clock tower and the man that was going to give them the actual guided tour of the city for the next hour.

Her mind doing as it pleased, she tuned out the drone but silky voice of the man that introduced himself as Aro and thought more about the man from the alley. She was sure she actually saw him; there was no way that her mind could have imagined someone that gorgeous out of nowhere. She was fully convinced that he was real and surprised herself once again when a hot longing settled in her gut to see him again, if only for a moment.

Though she tuned nearly everything out, she was brought out of her thoughts once they were in what looked to be a throne room, two other men sitting on rich looking wooden seats, watching her and her class as though they were nothing important to them. If they were the ruling family, she didn't doubt that that was true enough. It was a comment during the introductions of the other two that finally stirred her from her thoughts. She knew she should keep her mouth shut, but as she was never one to do so, her hand raised and she opened her mouth she was acknowledged.

"Forgive me for sounding rude, but if he is the actual descendant of the Marcus that is celebrated in such a way, then why are you king and not him?"

Her classmates looked at her in horror, her teacher closing his eyes as the question hung in the air as a snort of pure elated amusement bounced off the walls.

Her teacher groaned before attempting to gain control of his wayward student, "Isabella."

Looking affronted at him, "What? It just seems to me that if he is in fact from the bloodline that all seem to love and honor in such a way as to celebrate him every year, than it would only make sense for him to be the rightful ruler. I wasn't being rude; I was simply asking a question that can just as easily go unanswered."

There was a chuckle to replace the snort from a moment ago drawing everyone's attention to the blonde man as he placed his chin in his hand, "It is alright giovane. There was no harm done." Moving his eyes to Aro, who looked far less amused than he did, he tilted his head to the side, "I too am curious as to how that happened. Perhaps His Highness will indulge us in an answer as it was a visitor that he himself invited to the palace that asked instead of one of his own."

The glare that settled on Aro's face told him that he was not happy about the jab, but he was all bright eyes and bushy tailed when he turned back to the human. "Isabella was it?" At her nod he clasped his hands behind his back. "It is a simple answer Tesoro; as with all things in the world, it is the strongest that leads."

Biting her lip in thought, she nodded, "Yes, that's true but that is a practice that only happens in the animal world. As we are not animals and of a civilized race, it would be birthright that trumps physical strength would it not? What I mean is it takes more than brute strength to lead a country unless you intend to beat them into submission and as I saw outside, the people do not seem as though that was what happened. How was it your family took over control of the region when there is still a living breathing family member of the last reigning ruler I guess is what I was asking."

"I will answer that, Stella." All eyes turned to the third man in the room, the one that was the topic of conversation. He stood from his seat and seemed to float across the floor and stop before her, "It was never my desire to rule over anyone. I do not agree with one person telling a whole populous how they must function. As I had no desire to sit in a position of power but unable to escape my birthright, as you pointed out, I appointed one to do it in my stead. As it was Aro's family that has always stood at the side of mine, he seemed to be the best person for it. Thought I will admit that is it not much of an acceptable answer, it is the truth. I simply have no desire to lord over anyone and choose to rather be in the background, giving occasional advice opposed to the alternative."

The comment came before she could swallow it, "That seems kind of cowardly to me." When the words were given life, she wanted with everything in her to grab them out of thin air and drag them back, kicking and screaming if necessary, before they reached his ears.

However, before she could apologize and her teacher could yell at her, for good reason this time, he chuckled, "Yes, I suppose it does to someone that has never been in that position before, but I assure you Stella, It was not a decision I came to lightly nor was it without much and deliberate thought. As it is anyways, I cannot have children so the line would have ended with myself as it is so I would have rather someone of my own choosing to take over rather than the anarchy that would have come had I not named a replacement."

Biting her lip and closing her eyes, "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound so bad."

He waved it off with a flick of his wrist, "There is nothing to be sorry about. You are not from here and therefore not privy to such information. It does this old heart good to know that my family legacy is such a curiosity." Glancing over his shoulder at Aro, who was looking back with a raised brow, "Also, it is a rarity to have someone speak in such a blunt manner. We normally have to listen to endless prattle before then deciphering the actual question that our guests ask." Looking back to Isabella with a fond smile, "It is refreshing so please, do not concern yourself. Is there anything else you wish to ask?"

There was one thing, but she refused to ask if he knew who the man in the alley was. She figured that with as nice as the man in front of her was, he had to have at some point met most, if not all, of his subjects and would probably know, but that was not something that she wanted to get out to her classmates.

Shaking her head, "No Sir."

Nodding to her, even with a knowing twinkle in his eyes, he glanced up to the others around her, "Anyone else then? Do not be shy; this is a learning experience is it not?"

The next twenty minutes was spent with the king and two lords answering the rapid fire questions from the students ranging from what is was like to rule a county to the back story of the vampire myths.

*X*

While the humans were in the throne room and he was not needed, Felix slipped out and back to the streets for his meeting with Stefan. Appearing behind him, he crossed his arms and smirked as the body of a young boy hit the ground at his feet, joining the pile of three others making four bodies in total. "Aro is not going to like that."

Shrugging his shoulders and wiping his mouth off, he turned to look at one of the many spies in the royal guard. "It matters not. What matters is I was hungry, but now I am not; for the moment anyways. I am sure that I could find room for some dessert before I take my leave."

Felix chuckled, "Like that delicate little morsel you were staring at before?"

Crossing his arms, "surely not. I have other plans for the frumuseţe, of that you can be certain. No, as far as my teeth are concerned, she could be the only one to complete the trip to my home and I wouldn't care. As it stands I had to change my plans to ensure the trip was made to begin with. I highly believe that had I eaten one here, they would return to whence they came and that is something I cannot allow. However, the overall goal in this is to get Aro's chilotei in a twist. What do you think he would do if a group of American humans went to where he KNOWS vampires reside and they are never seen again? Can you see the possibilities in that? The international police will have a field day with it, more assuredly when the bodies are found scattered across the continent and nowhere near where they are meant to be. The uproar itself is something to look forward to, but it is Aro's reaction that will be the icing on the cake."

Felix snorted, "It would appear it is once again time to annoy Aro. I honestly thought you were going to let another decade pass before you did anything. Aro is still cross about the last stunt you and Vladimir pulled."

There was an amused chuckle before a sigh, "Yes, one of my better ideas I think." Looking to the sky, "It is time." Picking up three of the bodies and a nod to HIS loyal servant, he leapt up to the roof tops to place his dinner throughout the city and begin the trip back home

*X*

The next afternoon, after running none stop, Stefan waltzed to the main chambers and threw the doors open with a bang as they hit the walls. With his arms still spread wide out to the sides, he grinned at the glaring vampire that was taken off guard slightly at his abrupt, and loud, arrival. "I fail to see the point of that Stefan."

Shrugging at the rebuffing tone, he sauntered into the room, rubbing his hands together, "This is turning out even better than I anticipated."

Placing his chin in his palm, Vladimir simply stared at him, "And how was your dinner? I have never sampled American before."

Red eyes dancing, Stefan stopped in front of the dais, "That is the best part of this whole thing. The Americans are currently in route to our humble abode. From what I was told, they are on a vampire hunt or the legend of vampires or, well the reason is not important. The important thing is I have come up with the idea of a lifetime to turn Aro's world upside down and inside out. To make it even better is there is absolutely nothing he can do about it because it ALL falls under the letter of his own laws, well if you discount the four very tasty treats I had during my visit."

Raising a brow at his friend, Vladimir simply waited in silence, figuring that he would get to the point if he just gave him time. He could plainly see the gears working behind Stefan's eyes and knew better than to interrupt him when he got like this. He would eventually share his plan, or at the very least start to think it out loud and give him clues along the way to end result. After all the centuries they have spent together, Vladimir knew Stefan nearly inside and out and knew that, even if he didn't see the same excitement to the plan, he would enjoy the show none the less.

Stefan, so wrapped up in his planning, he actually forgot that he was not alone in the chamber. It was nearly an hour after his return when a throat clearing brought him out of his thoughts and back to matter at hand, preparations for the fun.

"Alright, this is what I am thinking. From the itinerary I was given of their time here, they are going to arrive for a tour tomorrow morning. After the tour, I am going to have the guide invite them to stay here for the night as legend says that vampires only come out at night. They will be given the liberty of exploring the whole of the palace, nothing will be off limits to them and they may do as they please. It will not only be a free for all for them, but one for us as well, open season as it were, on the seemingly alone guests. Come sunrise, all will be drained of every drop of their essence."

Raising a brow at him, Vladimir tried to figure out where he was going with this and how in the seven levels of hell that followed Aro's laws. A group of foreigners being invited to stay the night and not surviving would cause for all kinds of suspicions in the human world and draw massive attention to them and the existence of vampires, or at least a crackpot pretending to be. With that in mind, "I fail to see how that follows Aro's laws."

There was a sinister spark in Stefan's eyes that Vladimir knew all too well. "It wouldn't if the bodies STAY here. However, if they were to be, say, scattered across the land and there is no record of their arrival to Romania, the last known place they were would be where?"

Understanding dawned in Vladimir's eyes as the total picture formed in his own mind, a smirk to rival Stefan's own lifting his lips. If they came straight there, there would be no record of them checking into a hotel. "It would seem my friend; we have preparations to tend to. One thing however, how do you plan to make them vanish from traceable technology?"

The smirk on Stefan's face echoed the spark that had not yet died in his eyes, "That, my friend, is the best part. Aro's 'faithful followers' have already taken care of it for me. There is documentation of their arrival in Italy, but nothing to say they ever left. They are coming straight here from the airport and the airport they are to land on is a private airstrip that is most disorganized and is constantly misplacing it's documentation of flight plans, or forgets to file them at all. Something could get lost in translation. Never let it be said they you shouldn't know, or have a basic understanding, of the language of the country you visit if you do not share."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Isabella and her class were in a quiet uproar on the drive to Dracula's castle. While they were holding their excitement, she could not. She was all but bouncing in her seat as the towers came into view on the horizon. The closer she got, the less she could sit still. 'This is going to be so cool. To think that this is the place that all vampire legends started'.

The moment that the doors to the car she was in opened, she darted out and a smile lit up her face as she looked up at the piece of history. Mike decided to push her buttons. "So Bella, you creaming your jeans over this yet?"

She was not even fazed by the question, having been expecting him to say something crude to her about her, admittedly, unhealthy fixation on Dracula. Instead she just smiled her eyes wide and bright, "Did that as soon as the castle came into view." She giggled at the face he made to her announcement and turned away when a young man came walking out of the front doors.

"Welcome everyone. We are so pleased that you have decided to visit our humble estate. If you would please come with me, there is much to see and only so many hours in which to do so." Holding his hand out, he allowed everyone to file in past him, easily spotting the young woman his master described to him that was to be very well taken care of and indulged in any way she wanted.

As she passed him he smiled at her, "You seem excited Mea Doamna."

She blushed slightly at the compliment. Unlike the rest of her class, she understood Romanian as long it is spoken slowly. "Sure am, but please, none of that name stuff. I'm not a high society lady so no need to call me one."

Both his eyebrows shot up, "You know our language?"

Shrugging, "I'm not fluent or anything but if you talk slowly enough I can translate it quick enough to have a conversation with you. But it is kinda choppy still."

He nodded at that. His master would be pleased with this turn of events. As they were walking inside, "Tell me, what was the first thing you learned?"

She giggled, "Dracu'."

He snorted, "Such language to learn for such a frumuseţe."

She giggled again, "Well it is always good to know how to cuss someone out and it hits home harder when they can understand you when you do it. I also took the time to learn how to bring someone down a peg or two in Italy as well, though I didn't get a chance to do it." Then she remembered the look on Aro's face when she asked him about why he was king and chuckled a slightly demonic sound, "Well, I guess that's not true. I think I insulted a royal while there."

One of her other classmates turned to look at her, "You think? Bella, it looked like he wanted to snap your neck for some of the comments you made. Had Marcus not stepped in I really think that Aro guy would have killed you."

Hiding a smirk behind a fake cough, he filed that tidbit away to tell Lord Stefan later being brought back into the conversation between the girls when who he now knew as Bella snorted, "As if. What would it look like if I went to Italy and didn't come back? My daddy is the chief of police and has friends in high places. Even if he is a royal jackass, Daddy would see him burn for so much as thinking about it. Remember when Fuckward and I broke up and the scene he made over just words?" Waving a dismissive hand, "Anyways, nothing happened so it's not really worth worrying about."

*X*

For the next few hours, they were lead all over the castle, not beyond the roped off areas, but from what she read up on, this was a far more extensive tour than normal. Not that Bella cared; she was eating it up, filling every last detail to memory. Finally they reached the last room of the tour, a massive chamber made out of smooth stone, old tapestries and priceless art dawning the walls and sporadic statues, some standing alone and some on raised platforms.

The main attraction however was the statues that looked to be made of marble that sat atop thrones of gold and rare jewels. Bella stood dumbfounded as her eyes settled on the one on the right. 'It can't be'. Shaking her head, 'Of course not. This is just a statue that I have seen pictures of before'.

Crossing her arms, she cocked her head to the side as the tour guide started to talk again, and her mouth, as it always does, worked without her permission.

"Stefan ce Mare. He was named the Champion of Christ by Pope Sixtus IV after he won the Battle of Vaslui. There are 44 churches built in his name, one for every battle he fought and won in the name of Our Lord. He actually won more battles per capita than any other leader in history, only losing four, and most of the time didn't even care that he won, simply restocked his army and moved on to the next.

"He was the cousin of Vlad Tepes, who is, by the way, also known as Vlad the Impaler, who is, for those of you who don't know, Bram Stoker's inspiration for Dracula since that was actually a translatable surname. His father was Vlad II Dracul meaning the dragon and Dracula translates to 'son of the dragon'. It wasn't until many years later and after the death of Vlad III, that the term Dracula was changed to mean 'Son of Evil'."

Everyone was looking at her, but she was looking at the two statues in front of her trying to figure out what was wrong with the picture, other than the one the depicted Stefan looked just like the man she saw in the alley in Italy. That was when she figured it out, it was the heads. That was what was wrong, and if not wrong then very, very off.

Before she got a chance to further think about it, their tour guide clapped his hands, "Wonderful. I couldn't have said it better myself. Tell me, how is it you are so well versed in our local legends?"

There was a snort somewhere behind her, "She has an unhealthy obsession with Dracula."

She huffed and spun around, "For the last time, I do not have a fucking obsession with Dracula, tampit. Nothing I said is uncommon knowledge. You can read it all on the internet. Wiki that shit if you don't believe me. Just because I do my homework and you don't does not make me obsessed." After giving Mike the finger and getting reprimanded by her teacher for it, she turned to the tour guide, "When they were placing the statues, did they get them backwards?"

Tilting his head to the side, "What do you mean my dear?"

Raising a brow, "exactly what I said, did they put them in the wrong seat?"

He shook his head, "No ma'am. They are as they should be."

Blinking at him, she turned her attention back to the statues and moved to get a bit closer to get a better look. Biting her lip and leaning close to the one of Stefan ce Mare, 'But the eyes are so full of emotions and not the ones that would be present in a man of the Lord. His eyes hold evil and enjoyment'. Turning her attention to the one depicting Vladimir, 'and his are far more conducive to that which should be in Stefan's eyes. Did history get it backwards maybe? They were related so I suppose it could be possible'. Taking a step back again and looking back and forth between the two, her face showing both her confusion and thoughts, she turned to the tour guide that seemed to only have eyes for her even though he did answer the questions being fired at him by her classmates.

Crossing her arms again she turned back to the statues, her face once again steeling into a scowl of thought, she spoke her thoughts out loud under her breath, not knowing that she was being listened to by three creatures that shouldn't be able to hear her.

"Alright, the names HAVE to be right. That can be tracked by documents. Vlad III was the son of Vlad II so he HAS to have the surname Dracula because of the Order of the Dragon." Biting her thumb nail, her eyes darted back and forth between the two, her brows drawn, "They do look a lot alike and the 1400 were not known well for their record keeping skills. Is there a chance that at some point they switched places?" Crossing her arms and tilting her head, "I don't think I could fault either for wanting a change. But if that happened, who did what? Think Bella, alright, the things that Vlad III did got so much more brutal when he was exiled and the things that Stefan was documented doing tapered off about the same time. Did Stefan flee the scene in Vlad's stead and Vlad take over Stefan's life at that point? They were both men of war AND they fought against the same enemy. They could have traded places at any time and no one would have been the wiser."

Tapering off her spoken thoughts a moment, she refocused to the end of the war. "Okay, so Vlad was supposed to have gone for aid and was instead captured and imprisoned when he ran out of funds. His cousin Stefan then sends a letter campaigning his release. Even if they were related, as a man of the collar, he wouldn't have been inclined to do such because of the massacres and horrible deaths his cousin bestowed on others. Why would a man of God attempt to have a man like Vlad was supposed to be released unless he was actually shooting for his own?"

Wracking her brain for every detail she knew, it was like a light bulb went off in her head. "I know, 1457. That was the last known time the two were ever in the same place at the same time. The only difference between the two was Vlad had black hair and Stefan had brown. If the artists didn't fuck up and got the depictions right, then why would the hair be backwards if they didn't change places?"

She heard her name being called and jumped a little, forgetting for a moment that there were others around her. Chuckling quietly to herself, "Alright, maybe I am a LITTLE obsessed." Turning away from the statues and trotting over to the group, she got there just in time to hear the greatest news of her life.

"Since this is meant to be a trip shrouded in myth and legend, it was decided to extend an invitation to you all to spend the night here in Dracula's castle. In your room you will find a box and inside is a part for you to play. It will either be that of vampire or human and you will be given props respectable to your part. Humans will find a cross and stake and vampires will find a black cape and a set of clip on fangs.

"Now here are the rules and you must follow them or you will be disqualified and removed from the main house and placed in a different one on grounds for the night. While the sun is up you cannot leave the castle for any reason, even if you are dubbed a human, but after sunset you have free reign of the whole grounds. Nothing, not even the roped off sections are off limits. You are welcome to go anywhere you like I just ask that you do try and be careful to not break anything. This whole castle in under constant surveillance so you will be watched the whole time.

"The name of the game is survival. If you are given the part of human, you are far easier to kill. If you feel a bite to your neck or anything else that you know would kill you if done by a being stronger than you, you are out of the game and must then return to your room for the remainder of the night. If you are given the part of vampire, if you feel something to your back or chest over where your heart is, you are dust and also must return to your room for the remainder of the night. For you vampires, pay attention to the time because you do not want to be caught outside at sunrise. Once you are 'killed' you stay dead. There are no miraculous resurrections and a dusted vampire cannot reform. There is no Van Helsing parts so do not pretend there are. If you are caught cheating, you will be disqualified and removed from play.

"The lucky ones of you that see tomorrow, so long as you are not a vampire in the middle of the yard, there is a prize waiting for you. The game starts two hours from now and during that time you are not allowed to tell anyone else the part you are playing and are confined to chambers where you will be served dinner to give the staff enough time to get the torches lit and the more valuable pieces of art and the like taken down so to avoid accidents."

One of the other classmates raised her hands, "Torches?"

He smiled at her, "But of course, my dear. In the time of Dracula and vampires there was no electricity. Everything was done by the light of fire and so shall this. Don't worry young lady; the torches are high enough up on the wall where there is no chance of them causing issue. Now, there is a box on the table by the exit. Please place your phones inside for the time being. They will be returned to you either in the morning or if you are killed in the game. There were no phones then and they shall not be used now."

As the students ran to put their phones away, using the envelopes provided to let them know whose was whose, the tour guide turned to the teacher, "We placed a part in your chamber as well. We were unsure if you were going to participate or not."

Mike turned and yelled across the room, "Come on teach! You know this is like, your wildest dream come true."

Glaring at his student, "So long as that I am the opposite as him, I am all for it."

The guide chuckled, "You know, there were many humans that were killed back then for being thought to a vampire and vampires often killed each other for right to feed." Lowering his voice, he leaned in and whispered in the teacher's ear, "It is not the part you play that matters Sir. It is your desire to live that will win you the game." leaning back again and smirking, "You know, the prize could be yours as well. All you have to do is make it past sunrise." When he glanced at the students again he smiled, holding up a clipboard with their room assignments. "If you will come with me, I will show you to your rooms."

As he herded the excited teens out of the main chamber, he turned back to close the door, a big ol' grin on his face when he saw the 'statues' smirk, one of them crossing his arms while the other rubbed his hands together in obvious delight.

*X*

It took a half an hour to show everyone to their rooms since they were not congealed together and more spread out throughout the castle, Isabella being the last one shown to her room on a floor all her own. Not that she noticed that little fact since she was talking to the guide and not paying a damn bit of attention until he stopped at a door.

"Miss. Bella, this is your room. I do hope it is to your liking." Opening the door, he stood to the side and let her pass, smirking at the intake of breath.

Blinking, Bella looked around at the beautiful room. Turning to face the guide, that she learned was named Radu, she blinked again, "Are you serious? This is where I am staying tonight?"

He nodded, "It is. There is a bathroom through the second door on the right where there should have been toiletries left if you wish to make use of it."

She nodded and took a few steps in the room and he leaned a shoulder on the door jam, "I was not privy to assigning parts. Do you mind if I ask what part you will be playing this evening?" He already knew, but it would be a question that he would ask if he didn't."

She looked over her shoulder at him and cocked a brow, "I thought it was against the rules to tell someone that."

He shook his head, "Only the other players. Since I am not one of them, telling me is not against the rules."

Looking at him a moment to figure out if he was lying or not, she glared at him, "If I get in trouble for this I am kicking your ass. I want a shot at the prize."

He held his hands up, "If you get in trouble you receive one of them regardless, but I promise you won't."

After another long moment, Bella nodded, "Alright." Walking over to the bed, she set her backpack down and turned her attention to the box sitting on the covers. Lifting the lid, she pulled out an envelope that was sitting on top of tissue paper. Leaving the paper alone for a moment, she opened the envelope and took out the card that was inside. Reading it out loud,

"Congratulations, you are among a select few that get the honor and privilege to be a vampire. As a rule to the race, vampires are extremely territorial and do not like anyone, or anything, encroaching in, or even near, their homes. The only thing that is more important to a creature of darkness, besides its mate, is its next meal. There are three places to bite a human that will ensure death and your sedation. The neck of course is one, but there is also the inner wrist and inner thigh. As you are by far stronger than a human, you will have no issues with using any of the three to feed. As legend states, it take two and a half humans to quell a vampire's bloodlust and as there are more humans than you can eat in your territory, you must get more creative than simply biting them if you want to survive the invasion of your home."

Flipping it over, she saw there was more and read it aloud as well.

"A vampire knows its home inside and out as they are normally the one that builds it. As this is not the case for you, there is a map in your box that shows the hidden tunnels and secret passages within the property. Do not lose it and do not share with anyone. Only the vampires in residence are privy to this information as the ones that were assigned human would be trespassing they would not have access to such information unless they discovered it on their own. Best of luck and I hope to see you, as you are one of my kind now, come out victorious. Yours, Dracula."

Reading the both sides of the note again to make sure she understood everything, she looked up at Radu, "Looks like I'm a vampire now."

He nodded, "You would make best one out of your class in my opinion. You seem to have the best understanding in the legends and myths out of everyone involved so it makes sense to me."

She smiled at him, "You think so?" At his nod she giggled a little. "Well thanks. Vampires have always been my favorite creature of myth, besides dragons that is, so to get to pretend to be one for a little while is going to be so much fun. I am actually really happy I get to be one." Then she got a sly smile on her face, "I am not asking for names, but you wouldn't be able to tell me how many other vampires are in residence tonight; or would it be cheating to know that?"

He smirked at her with a slight snort, "There are two others. As I said however, I had nothing to do with the assignments. I just know the odds of the game.

She nodded, "Is my teacher playing?" At his nod she continued, "So that makes 18 humans versus three vampires."

She paused when he shook his head, "No Miss Bella. It is, at your count, 18 humans against three vampires versus each other. Remember what your card said? This is YOUR home and you don't like ANY thing in your territory; that would include the other vampires as well. You are a creature of solitude My Lady as your part did not state you were mated, the other two vampires are trespassing and must also be dealt with. Unless you are mated, you are all on your own in defending your home. It is you versus everyone in residence."

She blinked at him before frowning, "Well then, that sucks. One of me and twenty of them, love those odds." Then she snorted, "With my luck, the other two vampires are mates and have a partner to help them." Radu swallowed the snort that threatened to escape at the thought of his masters being mated to each other. He was actually thankful when Bella spoke again, "Hey, thanks for clearing that up for me. If you hadn't, I would have waltzed right up to someone is a cape and struck up a conversation about the taste of the Americans."

He smiled at her, "If you had, it would have been game over for you Miss. Bella. Your dinner should be here momentarily so I will leave you to get settled."

As he was bowing out of the room, Bella called out to him to wait, "Do you have any advice for me since I have such shitty odds staring me in the face?"

He cocked a brow at her, "Besides not getting staked you mean?" She nodded in earnest making him rub his chin, "Well, the best I can do without crossing the line is to tell you to use the tunnel system to your advantage as a real vampire would and sunrise is at 6:17 sharp. It doesn't matter what building you're in, just as long as you are not in direct sunlight when the clock strikes seven a.m.. That is when the game ends. If you are stuck alone for 43 minutes so be it, but if you want to win the prize, you cannot, under any circumstances, get hit by the sun or you're dust." She filed that away and nodded her thanks gaining a smirk, "I wouldn't worry too much about it, frumuseţe, this game will end as it should."

Blinking at him, "What does that mean?"

Smirk growing bigger, "Simply that only the ones that really earn it will see it end that's all. Relax Miss Bella; it is, after all, just a game."

Drawing her brow down again at the closing door, "Yeah, just a game."

*X*

As Radu walked down the halls, the smirk turning a little bit darker as his conversation with the only player giving the part of vampire in the 'game' replayed in his mind. The odds are actually 20 to 1 in her case. The other two he spoke of were playing no game but they were not going to go near her. His master Stefan truly outdid himself this time. The masters get to have a good ol' hunt, the staff gets fresh blood and Aro Volturi takes the fall since there is no indication that the teens and their teacher ever left Italy much less made it to Romania. Though his master trusted the spies he has in Italy, he went behind them and made sure that the requests his master made were done properly and also made sure that it could never be recovered, something Afton either didn't do, forgot to do or just didn't think about doing. With him it really could go either way.

Thinking about Miss Bella he could clearly see why his master was so enthralled with her. She was a spitfire and was in no way afraid to speak her mind, something he was positive his master liked about her. He was well aware what the prize for surviving the night was and he was also well aware that only one person would do it. There was a reason that he told her to use the tunnel systems. Other than his masters, she is the only ones that know they exist. It was as he said, the only way a human would know about them was if they found them on their own.

He was actually quite proud of himself. He didn't tell her a single lie. He didn't even so much as bend the truth. For her, this was a game so that wasn't even a lie. With a mental pat on the back, he turned his attention to the staff that was currently safeguarding the master's favorite artwork and lighting torches to light the castle. After seeing everything was on track and glancing at his watch, he headed off to the throne room to inform his masters that the game was about to begin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Waking up from a nap, Bella stretched and looked at her watch to see how much time was left before the game started. Seeing that she had about ten minutes to go, she got up and got ready. It wasn't like it took much. All she had to do was attach her clip on fangs and put on the cape. She did take a few moments to refresh her makeup and make it dark and bold, as she felt a vampire would, and ran her brush through her hair before lifting her hood up and over her head, letting it fall down enough to cover her brows and send her features into darkness.

Giving herself a moment of amusement, she spun on the spot, making her cape flare out before grabbing a side of it, crouching a bit and bringing her arm up to her face so only her eyes were showing and chuckling deep in her throat. She giggled at the affect. "I would so make a kick ass vamp."

Her attention was then drawn from the mirror when there was a ding of a grandfather clock and a disembodied voice on the air, "Let the games begin."

With one last glance in the mirror, Bella spun on her heel and walked out the door, taking a moment to look around the halls before slipping out of her room and darting down the hall, the layout of the estate tucked safely away in her pocket and two sets of glowing red eyes watching her every move.

*X*

Stefan watched as the enticing young lady ran down the hall, Vladimir standing next to him with his arms crossed, "Tell me Stefan, when you were planning to tell me you have chosen to take a mate?"

Smirking and saying nothing for a long moment, he tilted his head to the side, "I am as of yet still undecided if that is the course I will take. Though the girl is quite perfect and I have every intention of keeping her, I am not positive yet if it will be at my side as my mate or something else."

Nodding to him, "She is quite intuitive to have figured out our little secret Cousin. Though our relation is no secret, our little switch was a closely guarded one."

Smirking that much more, "Mea frumuseţe is indeed very intuitive. I am curious how long it will take her to figure out that this is no game for her traveling companions and that she will never again leave Romania."

Chuckling deep in his chest, "and you claim to not have figured out your plans." Rolling his shoulders, Vladimir looked over at him, "We have twenty humans to deal with and twelve hours in which to do so. Shall we get started?"

With one last look in the direction Isabella went, he nodded and turned on his heel going the opposite way. "I have just eaten so I am not hungry currently, but shall we make this a wager? First to eleven kills is the victor?"

Walking along beside him, Vladimir thought it over before giving a nod, "Alright Stefan, I will play. What are the guidelines?

Tapping his finger to his lips, "no laziness about it; the kill does not count if they are confined to their chambers. It must be a hunt and they must be in no more than two movable pieces. No double kills; if there are only the first stopped heart counts. If Isabella is in the passage ways, they are off limits so as to avoid an accident. The staff have been given leave to join in the game come 3 o'clock so our wager ends then. Do you agree to the terms?"

Nodding, "I do, and the wager itself?"

Clicking his tongue a few times in thought, "That is to be decided at a later time but I assume it will have something to do with annoying Aro as all our bets do." holding out a hand, "Do we have an accord?"

Clasping Stefan's firmly in his own, "Agreed. To the finish line then?"

Nodding, "To the finish."

*X*

Hiding in shadow, Stefan watched his human for a time, not really caring about his bet with his cousin. He knew he was going to win, he always did. Though Vladimir was a force to be reckoned with, he would never hold a candle to him. The other vampire just didn't have the stomach for torture and the like, or if he did he never showed it. Vladimir didn't know the spine tingling pleasure of feeling bones break between his fingers. He scoffed at the very idea of inflicting pain and paralyzing fear in your victims, choosing instead to simply bite and suck until there was nothing left. Stefan though, he chose to enjoy the kill as much if not more than the meal. It was, for all intent and purpose, the same thing. Different emotions gave the blood a different flavor and he was not a fan of the lighter ones, finding the heavier ones far more filling and the taste that much better. Fear, pain, anger; they were sweeter, more addictive and far more favorable to his pallet.

He was also a huge fan of the symphony of terror, the screams, the rapid beating of a heart, the rushing blood; it all washed over him in a flood of ecstasy that made his mouth water. He never cared what the human actually smelled like because you can always change their scent to something far more tolerable by simply scaring the shit out of them or pissing them the fuck off. It really didn't matter to him which way it went. The scent of emotions will always overpower the scent of flesh when they are strong enough to change the scent of the blood.

There was an empath that he had met many decades ago that was much the same way he was. He was not the only empath Stefan had ever met, nor really was he the most powerful one he had come across, but the sadistic side of that son of a bitch was something to watch if given the opportunity. Though the name escaped him, the lasting impression was decent enough. However he did hear of an unsettling reform to the man that left a bad taste in his mouth. Animals were not meant to sedate a vampire and Stefan highly doubted that it did. Though he didn't have contact with the empath, and truthfully didn't want to if THAT rumor was true, he did occasionally speak with the pain in the ass that seems to worship the ground the empath walks on. That entire situation eluded his understanding. How one can fall so far and stay so low WILLINGLY is a concept that he would never understand. He assumed it had more to do with the rules of the coven leader than the actual desire to eat such things but that is still a condition that seems a bit off to him. Vampires were made to eat humans, that is a simple fact of nature and it is never a good idea to go so far against instinct.

Stefan was fully convinced that vampires were created for a reason and it was not to thin the local wildlife. Though he tolerated such things when confronted by a long standing ally to Romania when he feels it becomes necessary to show his face around the country, he never bought into the idea. He would never understand the lure of chasing Bambi when the hunted will come right to you. He supposed though, to each their own.

Giving a last look to his frumos zeita, he smirked and darted down a different hall and after the sound of a beating heart that was calling his name. Though he didn't care about the bet, he couldn't very well allow Vladimir free reign with no competition.

Rounding a corner, he pressed his back to the wall and simply waited for his prey to come to him. Lifting his hand and flexing his fingers, he turned to block the body of a girl before shoving his hand right through her chest and wrapped his hand around her still beating heart. Grinning at the choked scream that got lodged somewhere before it was given life, his teeth shimmered in the light of the torch behind the girl's head. Looking into her wide, startled and scared eyes, he chuckled as her hands wrapped around his wrist as she choked on and coughed up blood that ran in a waterfall down her chin.

Lips pulling into a smirk, he ripped her heart from her chest and watched it beat three more times before dropping it on the ground right in front of her face. Flicking his fingers to remove the blood, he turned and simply walked away as his voice floated back to the corpse lying in the middle of the hall, "One".

The next three kills came in quick order. There was a decapitation, a hanging and a draining. The two that followed those were not really his direct doing, but as he was the cause, it counted. One of them fell down the stairs and broke his neck as he tried to run away and tripped over his own untied shoe and the other was looking behind her as she ran and somehow or other ended up going through a window and had he not watched it happen, he would not have believed it. It however didn't stop him from snorting at the stupidity of humans. The one after that was a fat fuck that had a heart attack when he came across the body of his first kill and saw him leaning on the wall looking right at him. Again, not a direct interactive kill but one that added to his body count none the less.

For the next two he had to leave the palace and venture outside to complete. One was crushed by a crate he was hiding behind and the other became a snack. He was just finishing him off when he was discovered by Vladimir. Dropping the body into a heap at his feet, he licked his lips, "Nine. How are you faring my friend?"

There was a chuckle, "My kills stand at nine as well."

Nodding, Stefan turned to face him, "Since we stand at…"

Whatever he was going to say was drowned out by the terrified shriek that sounded through the night air bringing a smile to the faces of the two vampires. Vladimir crossed his arms and glanced out the window and towards the main house just in time to see two of the three remaining humans run out in to the night. The older one, their teacher, looked like he was hyperventilating while the younger was trying to get him to shut the hell up before he drew attention to them. When the man's high pitched voice reached Stefan and Vladimir, the both raised a brow but it was Vlad that commented, "It was him that screamed like a woman in labor?"

Shrugging, Stefan looked on with slightly wide eyes, "So it would seem. I was unaware that a man could reach such a sound. Perhaps he is a eunuch?"

Blinking as the teacher once again shrieked as he stumbled upon another body, Vladimir looked at Stefan out of the corner of his eye, "Either way, it would only be an injustice to allow a man to continue to exist in such a state. It really would be a mercy to just end him. He has to be choking on his nuts; there could be no other explanation for this atrocity." Looking back at the two that were looking around back to back, "And I would suggest that you tend to it soon Cousin, before that thing attracts the attention of your damsel. This could prove difficult to explain if she discovers it screaming like a banshee and carrying on like that." Scrunching up his brow as the blubbering buffoon continued to yammer on in gibberish, he simply shook his head.

Stefan on the other hand was getting a kick out of the teacher carrying on like a toddler. With a chuckle, he swept from the building they were in and stalked his prey, wondering how high he could get the man's voice to go.

*X*

Bella was looking at the map in her hands as she navigated her way through the tunnels of the palace trying to figure out where she got turned around. She had gotten lost in the catacombs, from her guess, about fifteen minutes ago and could not for the life of her figure out how to get un-lost. She was just reaching what she thought was just another dead end when she started from an ear piercing scream that shot fear through her blood making her jump and scream in return, dropping the torch that was in her hand to the ground and, accidentally, putting it out. Spinning on point, she strained her eyes to see, trying to decipher the tunnels in pitch darkness.

All but shaking in her heeled boots, she took off, arms stretched out in front of her, palms out to stop her from hurting herself should she run into a wall. She had no idea where she was, where she was going or even if she was heading towards an exit and not just getting even more lost; and she didn't really care which way it went. All she cared about was keeping moving and not stopping.

Taking blind turns, barely avoiding corners and walls, she pressed on, the cape she was wearing flying and fluttering behind her only making her blood speed faster through her veins. She knew it was only a matter of time before she cut a corner too close and got hurt, but was not expecting the all-encompassing pain that shot up her arm when her wrist smacked into the stone corner. With a scream of agony, she lost her footing and tumbled to the unforgiving floor, tumbling a few times from the speed she was traveling. At some point though, she tripped a switch and the wall she was heading towards opened and spat her out into the hallway at the grand staircase.

Lying there a moment to catch her breath and to get the room to stop spinning, she held her broken wrist to her chest and used the other to stabilize her body before pushing herself to a lounging position on her hip and hand. Looking around to make sure that no one saw that, she stopped and her breath caught in her throat when her eyes fell on a still body a few feet from her. Shifting her position to her hand and knees, she crawled over to it, her brow drawn and her bottom lip between her teeth.

As she got closer to it, the distinctive baby blue eyes of Mike Newton stared unseeing up at her, accusation and disbelief still hidden in the glossy depths. Hand coming up and covering her mouth, her eyes watered and her breath was lodged in her throat making her choke and gag.

Getting to her feet and slowly backing away, she turned and was about to go down a different hall and away from the sight when she came face to face with a girl named Tonya swinging from a rafter by a rope around her neck. A whimper was all she could get out, her eyes moving all on their own to the body of a boy on the ground a measured distance behind her. Though she couldn't make out details in the light of only the fire on the walls, she could make out enough to know that the head was no longer attached to the body.

Gagging again on the scream that was once again lodged in her throat, she turned from the sight, and took off like the hounds of hell were after her, all but hurtling Mike's body before going down the stairs, sliding down the banister to save time. What she didn't notice however, was the body at the foot of the steps until her foot got caught on its arm. In her shock, she was unable to stop herself from falling backwards and landing hard on her ass, her broken wrist going unnoticed and it slammed into the ground as well when her eyes locked on the back of a head when the rest of the body was facing her.

Still unable to find her voice, she gasped and scrambled backwards, before turning over and lunging forward and to her feet, the only thing in her sights was the front door. She didn't know what was going on, but she was convinced that this was not a game and, if those really were the bodies of her friends and classmates, then the rest were in trouble and they needed to be warned and everyone needed to get the fuck out of dodge as fast as they could.

As she neared her destination, she could hear who she thought was her teacher and a girl named Tiffany on the other side. Pushing herself faster, she shoulder checked the heavy wooden door and nearly plowed into her teacher as he stood there screaming and crying like a baby. Blinking at him with her jaw nearly on the ground, she glanced at Tiffany who shrugged her shoulders.

"Bella, what is going on?"

Shaking her head, "I don't have a fucking clue but we HAVE to get the hell out of here." Holding her broken and now throbbing wrist to her chest again, swallowing bile as the images of her dead friends flashed before her eyes, she turned her attention to her teacher, who she noticed had, at some point, pissed his pants. Getting fed up with his behavior, she used her good hand and bitched smacked him back to reality. "Come on Mr. Nelsen, you're the adult here, act like it for fucks sake!"

Shaking her head when all he did was cry harder, Bella glared at him before grabbing Tiffany's wrist and pulling her along behind her, "Come on, We have to move."

As the girls started to run, Tiffany called out, "What about Mr. Nelsen, Bella?"

Glancing over her shoulder at the sniveling idiot, she growled, "Are fucking kidding me right now?" Taking a deep breath, "Mr. Nelsen, move your ass you dumb fuck!" The girls were nearing the drive when they watched him turn tail and run back inside. "Not that way you stupid prick!" Shaking her head as the stupidity of the man that was responsible for THEIR safety, she let go of Tiffany and changed her direction, "Just keep moving. Don't stop for anything or anyone. Just keep running. I'll get the retard and catch up with you, I promise. Just get out of here."

Bella heard her name being called but ignored it as she reached the house. Pausing a beat to calm down, she pulled the door open again and slipped inside. She had no idea where he went, but he couldn't have gotten too far she didn't think. Moving swiftly but sticking close to the walls, using the shadows to hide, or so she thought, she made her way into the palace again, her heart hammering in her chest and her chest heaving from the heavy jagged breaths she was taking.

Growling in her throat when she noticed how far she was inside, she huffed to herself, "I am going fucking kill him my damn self for this bullshit. Idiot." Then she swallowed a snort, "He is like those stupid horror movie chicks that run up the steps instead of running out the front door and we all know what the survival rate of horror movie chicks are."

Stopping when she reached a corner, she poked her head around, looking down a long, dark hallway that, if she remembered right, lead to the throne room. Biting her lip and looking back the way she came, she sighed before slipping around the corner and once again moved swiftly down the hall, sticking close to the wall.

When she reached the door, she peeked into the crack that was left from the door not being closed all the way. Getting as good a view of the room as she could from her vantage point and not seeing anything, she pushed the door open only enough for her body to slip through. Once she was in, she looked around the room, her eyes passing over, but not registering the empty chairs across the room, she still didn't see anything. Taking measured steps towards the part of the room that couldn't be seen from the doors, she called out in a loud whisper, "Mr. Nelsen, where are you, you stupid bastard? This isn't cool, fucker."

Looking around the corner to the nook in the back of the room, she saw a man standing there with a black cape. Letting out the breath she was holding, she moved with slightly more confident steps into the only place there was no escape from in the palace. "Mr. Nelsen?"

There was a gurgle, but nothing that could be described as actual words. Biting her lip, Bella moved a little closer, only to jump back with a gasped scream when from the other side of the cape, her teacher's body dropped to the ground, blood oozing from a laceration to the neck. There was a chuckle behind her making her turn to the side, and come face to face with the statue of Vlad III, only it was not a statue.

Looking back and forth between the man blocking her exit route and the back of the man that just dropped her teacher, her mind swam and spun, working quickly to piece this together. Pressing her back to the wall, her attention was drawn to the man deepest in the nook. When he was facing her, he dropped his hood back and uncovered his face making Bella's eyes go so wide it was actually physically painful. Gaping in a very unattractive way, her mouth moved like that of a fish but no sound was heard.

He cocked his head to the side, blood still on his lips and sliding down the corner of his chin as the other man laughed out loud. "It would seem you have been discovered Cousin." Throwing a limp object into the nook he smirked, "And I believe we have reached a stalemate."

Pressing her back harder into the wall, Bella was actually able to give life to the shriek that clawed its way up from her toes when her sight fell on the pale face of Tiffany. Blinking back tears and swallowing down the bile that was near suffocating her, she looked at her friend for a long second before her eyes moved to the body of her teacher lying in a pool of his own blood. Swallowing hard, she shook with both fear and anger but it wasn't until she watched the eyes of her teacher blink and heard a jagged, watery breath that she finally lost the fight to keep on her feet.

With her eyes rolling up into the back of her head, she dropped like a sack of rocks to the stone floor beneath her. The only thing that kept her head from hitting the floor was Stefan and his absolute attention on her and her reaction. Swinging her up into his arms, he swept out of the room, stepping over bodies and through blood pools like they weren't even there. As he passed a group of servants feeding on the girl hanging from the rafters, he spoke but didn't stop, "Do be sure to clean this mess up but do not destroy the bodies. Radu knows what is to be done with them once you are finished." Glancing over his shoulder, "There are two more in the main chamber and at least three outside. Do not forget them."

Not waiting for a response, knowing his bidding would be done as directed, he continued his path to his own chambers to put his human to bed, stopping only to summon Radu. There was much to get completed before the sun rose and it would be all hands on deck to get it accomplished.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Placing Isabella in his bed, Stefan gently moved her bruised and swollen hand from her side to get a better look at the damage. Even he could tell she did a number on it and knew it was bound to cause her some issues for the next few weeks at least. Glancing at the door when Radu knocked, he looked back to his beauty and called for him to enter. Once Radu was in the room, Stefan started to give him his orders.

"You know what is to be done with the humans, yes?" At Radu's nod, Stefan continued, "select your fastest and have them go as far away from here as they can before sunrise. They have just over four hours until then. Once they have left, there is going to have to be a deep bleach scrubbing of any and all blood spatter. I am afraid that neither Vladimir nor I were as neat as we could have been."

Nodding, Radu bowed, "Yes My Lord. It shall be done. Is there anything else you require?"

Cocking his head to the side, "Yes actually. Somewhere around here there should be a human aid kit used to treat pains of different calibers. Find it and bring it here. It would seem that my human was somehow injured tonight."

Bowing once again, "Of course My Lord. I will return in a few moments." Waiting for his dismissal, he swept from the room when Stefan waved his hand.

Once the door closed again, Stefan turned his full attention back to his human, a small smile on his lips as he gazed at the peaceful expression on Bella's face, his mind flashing with her reaction once she wakes up and finds her dream was no dream and that she was never again leaving his sight.

Cocking his head to the side, he studied her, getting a closer look at her features. From the distance he was at in Italy he knew that she was the definition of beautiful and womanly perfection. He was able to get nearly on top on her over the night as he watched her attempt to navigate the passageways and catacombs but even with his advanced sight, the flicker of the flame she carried distorted her face and messed up the picture she made. Now however, as she lay in his bed completely unaware of her current observer, he was able to see every tiny pore, the small patch of freckles on her left temple, the scar next to her right eyebrow. Nothing was kept from his sight and every detail he discovered did nothing but make her more perfect in her imperfection.

He was drawn away from his observation by the return of Radu. Moving out of the way and allowing a vampire that had a little more experience with humans and keeping them breathing than he did to tend to his human. Leaning on the wall with his arms crossed, he waited for Radu to finish his inspection and tell him his findings. What Stefan was told, he was not surprised.

"It is broken, My Lord, quite badly from what I can tell. I can reset and splint it, but I am afraid that that might not be enough. Once I hand out assignments to the staff I will make a trip to the clinic and gather what is needed to cast it and something to give her for the pain that this is going to cause her. For now, it is best to keep it iced and immobile to get the swelling down and keep it from being further damaged."

When he grabbed Isabella's wrist to reset it, it caused her to whimper and Stefan to growl at the noise and Radu to gulp at his master's growl. Radu knew that this kind of thing was done after a pain medication was already given, but as there was nothing to give her, he was resigned to the fact that this was going to hurt her and probably lose him an arm or hand because of it.

Glancing at his master a moment, he hoped to convey that there was nothing he could do about this and that he was quite sorry about it. Taking a deep breath, he gripped her forearm above the break and tightened the grip he had on her hand, bit his lip and closed his eyes before pulling them apart to reset the bone into the proper position. The reaction from Isabella was not what he was expecting so he didn't have the time to move and avoid being the target of her getting ill. He had heard that humans were known to be physically sick from a dose of pain, but it was something that he had never seen before. She was not woken up by any means, if anything, this knocked her deeper into her comatose state, but it was disgusting either way.

Shuddering at both the display and smell, he grabbed the first aid kit and got the splint kit and wrapped it around the break before moving a pillow next to her and setting her arm down lightly making sure it was elevated before turning his attention to his smirking master with a sour expression as he stood. "That was the grossest thing I have ever seen."

Stefan chuckled, "You did it to yourself Radu. Even I, who am not one to care about the pain of a human, knew that something like that was bound to occur." Stefan then gave him a sinister smile, "Just be glad she didn't scream for that would have been your head."

Nodding to his master, already knowing that information and grateful himself for that, he looked down at himself with a frown. "The assignments have been handed out and the bodies are currently heading out in different directions; many of them in the direction of the Royal City. They will not be there before sun up, but they will be planted before the time that the humans will be reported missing. The cleaning staff is working to remove both the blood and the scents of the humans from the whole of the grounds. The only one that will never be found besides Miss Bella is the body that was crushed in the barn. There was not enough left of him intact to identify."

Cocking a brow at that, Stefan thought back to the kill and the terms of his bet with his cousin. Vladimir will win if the body was unable to be moved. "Tell me Radu; was the body able to be moved at all?"

Blinking at his master, "I'm sorry My Lord, I don't understand. What body are you referring to?"

"The one that you said was unidentifiable."

He shook his head, "No My Lord. There was no body. It was crushed to nothing. When the crate was moved, some stuck to the floor and some to wood. The only reason we even knew it was a guy was because all the females were accounted for elsewhere."

Pursing his lips, Stefan growled low, "Damn." Waving off the confused look he was getting from Radu, he moved back to Bella's side and sat down next to her and placed his hands on her broken wrist. He figured he was colder than any ice pack and he didn't melt and soak the blankets.

Settling in and getting comfortable, he glanced down at the face of his human again before closing his eyes and tried to figure out the best prize for his cousin considering that he had won their bet, and the best way for Vladimir's prize to piss off and/or annoy Aro.

*X*

Sunlight streaming through the window in the breaking dawn of the morning had Isabella groaning and rolling away from the offending brightness and farther into the covers of the bed she was on. It took her taxed mind all of three seconds to catch up with the events of the night before and she shot up in bed like someone kicked her. Eyes wide, she looked around the room before confusion settled into her still sleep fogged mind. Blinking to clear the grit from her eyes, she drew her bottom lip between her teeth and cocked her head to the side.

It was weird, to her at least, that she was in a room that she had never seen before nor had any memory of going to. But the biggest 'what the fuck' was the lack of fear that she was absolutely certain she should feel if the images that were bombarding her mind's eye were anything to go by; or if not the images then the emotions that went with them sure as hell told her that she should not be all la de da currently but for whatever reason she could not force herself to freak out as she knew she should.

Her already blurry eyes started to sag more and her body felt akin to putty making her sitting position a chore and a half. She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear the cobwebs, but all that did was make her both dizzy and slightly ill feeling. So, it was with a huff of clear annoyance that she slowly lay back down and pressed the heels of her hands in to her eyes.

THAT caught her attention.

Eyes shooting back open, she stated in wide eyed horror at the seemingly innocent purple cast that marred her wrist. Looking from that to the bedside table, she discovered the leftover medical supplies and a vial with a case of syringes. With a slightly raised brow, she reached over and grabbed the vial and nearly choked on her breath.

'Morphine? What the…' "Well that explains a lot actually."

There was a knock on the door that had Bella about jumping out of her skin. Whirling around to face the abused wood, she swallowed hard and actually had to clench her butt cheeks to keep from crapping her pants when the door knob started to turn. And this was no ordinary turning of the knob; this was one of those slow motion, horror movie turns that seemed to take way too long just to get the blood pumping, heart hammering and cause bladder control loss. Had she not been on the verge of messing the bed she was on, she would have called whoever it was an asshole. And the worst part, it didn't end there, oh no. The prick then made sure that the door creaked and groaned the whole way giving her the feeling of a flippin' heart attack before the face of Radu came into view.

Eyes the size of dinner plates and legs tangled in the comforter, Bella scrambled as best she could away from the looming form; and fell off the bed for her troubles. Landing hard with a thump and scream, she ripped herself free of the restraining cloth and bolted to her feet to continue her escape, tripping over everything that got in her way.

Radu walked towards her with a face of concern mixed with amusement and for every one step he took, she took two. When she found herself trapped, she pressed as close to the wall as she could. She tried to keep her voice level and calm but even she could hear the fear and tremble in it.

"Stati inapoi." When Radu kept coming towards her, her voice rose but didn't sound any braver, "Vorbesc serios, lasă-mă în pace nenorocit."

Shaking his head, Radu tried to reason with the petrified girl but doubted it would do much good. "You need to calm yourself mea Doamna. I am not trying to hurt you but you on the other hand, might have further injured your wrist with that stunt."

Glaring at the still advancing man, Bella gathered every last ounce of courage she had and looked him in the eye, "I'll scream rape, I swear to god I will."

Radu stopped in his tracks not knowing if she would actually keep that promise and not really wanting to find out. It was not the screaming that bothered him, though it would hurt his ears, it was the accusation reaching the ear of his master that stilled his feet. There was not a creature within fifty miles of the palace that was unaware that this human belonged to Lord Stefan and not a single one of them wanted to be on THAT vampire's bad side, Radu included.

With that conclusion drawn, he stopped about half way across the room and nodded, "Alright Miss Bella. I'll stay back."

Swallowing hard, she nodded, "Okay. Now what is going on? Where are my friends?"

Radu cocked a brow at her, "Your who? My Lady, when you arrived yesterday you were by yourself. There was no one with you."

She shook her head, "No, that's not right. I was with twenty others."

He tilted his head to the side, "That, I am afraid is not possible. I am the tour guide here, as you know, and I never had a group that big come yesterday. The largest one was the one you were in, but that was only twelve, not twenty-one."

Shaking her head harder, "NO DAMN IT. I was with my mythology class. You invited us to stay here last night for a vampire hunt game thing."

Radu snorted, "Perhaps you hit your head harder than we first thought. My Lady, this palace is old and not in the type of shape to inhabit. There is very little left that can support even the normal tours we do so to invite anyone to spend the night would have been most unwise and very unhealthy."

It was at that point that Bella had enough. Stomping her foot, "I didn't hit my fucking head you asshat! The only thing I hit was my wrist and it was in the tunnel system after I dropped the torch." Looking around the room, "Where's my stuff? I'll fucking prove it." The confused look she was receiving didn't leave a happy feeling in her gut. Face flushing a dark red as all the blood that had drained from it came rushing back, "You LOST my stuff?"

The smirk on his face was an indication of what was coming but it was no less shocking. "I have no idea what stuff you are referring to. You had nothing with you when you came in."

Glaring at him but not able to argue the point because she didn't, she crossed her arms as her temper flared even more at his blasé attitude. "I remember you being WAY nicer last night." Looking around again, she tried to figure out what was going on when she put her hand in her back pocket and found a folded up piece of paper. Pulling it out, a smirk of her own appeared on her face. "Tell me, if last night didn't happen like I thought and like you claim, then how do I have this?"

Holding up the diagram of the secret passage system, her smirk grew all the more when she saw the shock pass through Radu's eyes. She watched his mouth open and close a few times and saw his eyes flying all over the place and look everywhere but at her. Just as she was about to tell him not to lie to her, someone beat her to it.

"Yes Radu, if the events of last night didn't occur, how did she come to possess such damning evidence to the contrary?"

Eyes flying to the open door, they grew to comical size when she once again came face to face with the man from Italy, the statue in the main chambers AND the son of a bitch that dropped her dead teacher. Gulping and deflating all at once, a very disturbing sound came from the pit of her throat. He was leaning casually with his arms and ankles crossed on the door jam, his mouth morphed into a twisted and slightly sinister smirk and his bright ruby red eyes locked on her.

Bella looked at him, eyes wide and confused, "you."

The smirk on his face grew, pleasure flashing in his eyes as he bowed his head, "Stefan ce Mare at your service My Dear." Glancing at his servant, he jerked his head back, "Out."

Bowing and doing just that, Radu left the confused human and his master to their own devices and avoided the coming scolding for scaring the girl. Once Radu was gone, Stefan entered the room and sat down on a chair that was close, but still had a bit of distance, to his human that was still plastered to the wall following his every move.

Once he was seated he nodded to a chair that was across from him, "Have a seat."

Bella just blinked at him but didn't move a muscle.

Shrugging a shoulder at her, "Suit yourself but you would be more comfortable I should think."

There was another knock on the door and Stefan called them to enter. A servant opened the door and brought in a tray of tea and a light meal that had Bella's mouth watering and stomach growling quietly. After she set the tray down and left the room, Stefan glanced at his human. He didn't truly relish the idea of forcing her compliance, but if she remained as stubborn as she was, he would do so and couldn't find an ounce of himself to feel bad about it.

Bella looked at the tray and then at the man she knew was supposed to be dead and shivered before licking her lips and tried to speak, "What's going on?"

Lacing his fingers together, Stefan simply looked at her but said nothing for a long moment. When he did, it was not to answer her question. Instead he pointed to the chair again, "Surely you must be hungry. I can hear your stomach from here so do not bother to deny it. Sit, eat; we can discuss your situation once you are finished as it is not going to change between now and then."

Swallowing hard, Bella blinked and licked her lips again. "I, um, don't think I can eat no matter how hungry I am thanks. If it's all the same to you I would really like to know what the fuck is going on."

Locking his eyes with hers, "It is not. This is not a choice you get to make. You will sit or I will make you."

Glancing around the room to gauge her chances of escape and coming to the conclusion that she really didn't have a choice, she slowly moved from her position to the indicated chair. Once she was seated she crossed her arms over her chest and pulled her knees up so she was curled into the smallest ball she was able to get into. Looking at the man over her knees, she relaxed a tad when he sat back in his seat again. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet and kinda squeaky, "Please, just tell me what the hell is going on. Where are my friends?"

Stefan cocked his head to the side, "do you not remember finding them scattered across the palace and grounds? Perhaps you put it out of your mind and forced yourself to believe it was all a dream but I assure you, you did see me kill that sniveling excuse of a male human last night, Mr. Nelsen I believe you called him." Then he chuckled, "well among other things."

A tear breaking free of her eye as she looked at the man across from her, Bella said nothing for a few moments as that settled in her brain. "Why didn't you kill me, too? What is going to happen to me?"

Drumming his fingers together, he looked at her a long moment before answering that. "I am not fully decided on that as of yet. All I have to say at the moment is I hope you like these chambers because you are going to be here for a long, long time."

Choking on her tongue at that, she stuttered, "You can't just keep me here!"

Smiling a smile that was anything but nice, Stefan chuckled again, "I assure you there is very little I cannot do and even less you can to stop me."

Openly crying but not blubbering, she shouted, "But why?"

Stefan just shrugged, "Because I want to. I need no other reason than that."

Jumping to her feet, "The fuck you don't!"

Smirking at her and flashing his teeth as he did, "I don't. You are miles from anything resembling law enforcement, you are a foreigner and this is my territory. There is no one within hundreds of miles that would lift a finger if I didn't say they could. Simply put My Dear, you now belong to me for as long as I deem it so and there is truly absolutely nothing that you can do about it. You became mine the moment I saw you in Italy and will remain so for a very long time."

Bella shook her head, "I don't think so. I don't belong to anyone and certainly not you."

Slowly standing up and moving in measured paces towards her, Stefan forced her to lock eyes with him. Once her deep brown eyes were focused on his red ones, he spoke, his voice soft and soothing, "I beg to differ Mea Pereche." Lifting a hand and taking a strand of hair between his fingers, Stefan tilted his head to the side. "It is not a question of you belonging to me because I promise you, you do. No my delightful little morsel, the question is what it is I plan to do with you."

Blinking and licking her suddenly dry lips, "And what's that?"

Smiling at her, he tisked, "Well, I have come up with two options. The first is I keep you here, hide you away from the world until you outgrow your usefulness to me or you die, whichever comes first. However, as I have every intention of keeping you far longer than your life would allow, the second option is the far more likely one."

Sniffling more she asked, "And what's that?"

Using his free hand, Stefan slid it around her waist and placed his hand on the small of her back pulling her body closer to his. Bending his head down and running his nose along Bella's jaw line he whispered, "I sink my teeth into your neck, kill you and keep you here, by my side for eternity." Smirking into Bella's flesh when she whimpered, he scraped his teeth across the skin of her throat leaving welts but not breaking skin and tightened his grip on her when her knees gave out from under her.

Bella was in a fog, in a dark cloud that threatened to consume her. She wanted with everything she had to push away from the ice cold form that held her in a lover's embrace but she was powerless to do so. She wanted to but knew it was not going to happen. She was terrified, petrified really, and was sure that her heart was going to explode.

Looking up at him through her lashes, her voice soft and pleading, "Please don't do this."

Looking down at her Stefan simply smiled, "but don't you see dragă inimă, I already have. By the time anyone even notices you're gone, it will be far too late to do anything about it."

Bella shook her head and closed her eyes, "No, my father would never stop looking for me."

Smile turning darker and eyes lighting with anticipation, "for his sake as well as your own, I certainly hope he does. For mine however, I do so hope your right. With as wonderful as your blood smells my dear, I hungrily await the chance to sample it aged since that will be a pleasure that I will miss out on with you."

With there being a little distance between her and Stefan, Bella was able to think as well as better understand what was being said and that, coupled with the previous statement, she tried to stop the question, but as always, her mouth ran away from her. "I don't understand."

Flashing his teeth one last time, Stefan smirked, a chuckle that was reminiscent of the one in Italy sounded in the room causing a shiver to travel her spine. Looking down his nose, his eyes going dark in both bloodlust and the other kind, he spoke in a voice that would never in a million years be described as nice, "You will Pereche, very soon."

Standing there pressed to the icy chest of her captor, the next question was near silent, only Stefan's hearing was what gave it life. "What are you?"

His brow vanishing into his hairline, Stefan snorted softly, "It is not nearly as much fun if I TELL you that. Besides, I already know you know the answer to that Isabella. I heard you both in Italy AND in the throne room draw the proper conclusion. It will simply take you time to come to terms with it and embrace the truth." Dipping his head down so their noses were touching, his lips brushing hers with his every word, "you found yourself in an… interesting situation."

Biting her bottom lip nearly hard enough to draw blood, she had to swallow the moan that tried to claw its way up her throat. She might have been terrified of this man, for reasons that she thought were pretty clear, but he was still fuckhot and she was still undeniably attracted to him, but that was for reasons unknown. He was not really all that nice, he was a murderer and to top it off he was bat shit crazy. She had enough crazy when she was with Edward and REALLY didn't want to deal with another nutcase but that seemed to be all she could attract; besides Mike but that ship sailed if the blank baby blues really were his last night. But if she really thought about him, he wasn't all that stable either.

Closing her eyes to the pitch black orbs that were pushing down on her brain and cutting off thought, she tried to think of how the hell she was getting out of this alive. She couldn't make a lick of sense of this situation. She couldn't understand how someone that was born AND died over six hundred years ago was alive and holding her like this guy was. She couldn't grasp the concept that he seems convinced that she already did. She knew what she said in both places but the sheer unbelievability of the existence of vampires was at an all-time high even though she had SEEN the proof in the pudding; the blood on his lips and chin, the chunk missing from her teacher's throat. It all pointed to that conclusion but she refused to believe it. Refused to even consider that he was anything but a crazy fuckhot nut job.

Reopening her eyes, she gasped when the previously black eyes were back to the scary bright ruby red. She was of the opinion that the red eyes were far creepier and was surprised to find she preferred the black. Blinking at the abrupt change, Bella licked her now throbbingly painful lip before taking a deep breath. Her voice was not as strong as she would have liked it, but really, she didn't think she was to blame for that; "You can't keep me here, I won't let you."

Stefan chuckled, "I didn't assume you would My Dear. I actually look forward to the entertainment that is sure to come." Stepping away from her, he crossed his arms and looked in her eyes, "Just remember this one piece of advice won't you; all myth and legends were born from truth but nothing is above evolution."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It has been a week since Bella woke up in the fucking twilight zone and three days since she has seen anyone. She couldn't say she was being neglected because she wasn't. She was fed three times a day and every meal was better than the one before it. If there was something on her plate that she didn't like or wouldn't eat, she wasn't given it again; and she was even given a mouthwatering chocolate treat before bed. Every morning there was a fresh change of clothing when she got out of the shower that was both comfortable AND her style. She was actually quite glad that she had stopped wearing underwear about a year ago because her host never gave her any. She wouldn't have worn it anyways, but she thought it was better this way. This guy didn't really seem to like the word no and was a little worried about how he would interrupt her never having dirty panties picked up when she was asleep. She only wore them when she wore a skirt and she shuddered at the thought of finding a skirt one morning and also a lack of coverage when she bent over.

Over the last few days she might have seemed like the perfect captive, but she wasn't. She memorized every inch of the room she was confined to, figured out the exact second that someone came in and how long they were there. It was only when she was otherwise occupied that someone entered thus keeping her contact with anyone to a nonexistent degree. She also did her math and judged distances from the balcony in her room to anything that looked stable enough to hold her weight should she decide it was time to go. Her door was never locked but she didn't think her chances were all that great if she chose that route.

If she had her days right, and she wasn't positive she did, it would be only hours from that point that she and her classmates would be discovered missing or they already were. Either way, it was coming close to the time that she was going to put her plan into action and break out. Everything was in place and worked out and contingency plans were figured into the equation as well. The only thing that she couldn't figure out and shake off was the deep seated longing that settled into her bones whenever she thought about her next move and escape plan. She wanted nothing more than to run as far and as fast as she could, but there was a part of her, tiny but there, that revolted to the idea of leaving. She had no desire to stay there for any longer than she already had, and in truth she thought it was too long already, but there was something that was calling to her and no matter how much she ignored it, it wouldn't go away.

Shaking her head to clear it of the melancholy emotions and her lack of understanding to it, she stood on the other side of the bathroom door, her ear pressed to the wood and strained her hearing to the sounds going on on the other side. Then she heard it, the sound of the main bedroom door opening. Glancing at her watch, her brow drew down.

'That's not right. She shouldn't be here for another two minutes.' Forcing herself to stay calm, Bella knelt down and looked through the keyhole but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She decided to just stay put for now and see if the door opened again. When after a few minutes it didn't, she took a deep breath and opened the door and poked her head out. Seeing her dinner tray on the table it always gets put on and nothing else out of place, she stepped in the room, her eyes and ears peeled for ANYTHING that could possibly fuck this up.

She knew it was stupid to attempt this at night, but she also figured that it was the best time to do it. If these people were really vampires, then all that bullshit about burning in the sun was just that, bullshit. She had seen them on more than one occasion go outside and not a one of them died. However, this was the longest that she was going to go without anyone checking on her so this was her best option to put as much distance as she could between herself and this place before she was discovered missing.

What she failed to notice however was the man leaning against the wall right next to her. So she was not expecting to hear his voice therefore the shriek that came out at the sound was fully justified.

"Did you know you can tell a lot about a person just by their scent alone?"

Bella whirled around with her hand over her heart and stuttered, "I, uh, um…"

Stefan on the other hand simply chuckled. "Take this very moment for example. You smell of embarrassment and disappointment with a hint of anger and confusion. A moment ago you smelled of anticipation and longing. I am quite impressed with your ability to keep your heart and breathing under control, but there is so much more needed if you plan to escape the home of a vampire my dear." Bringing his hand up and covering his mouth, Stefan's eyes sparked with some unnamed emotion as he chuckled again, "Oh dear, I shouldn't have said that. Now I am afraid you'll have to die."

Bella eeped and jumped back, "But I thought you said you weren't going to kill me."

Stefan snorted and cocked a brow, "I did no such thing. That, however, is completely irrelevant. That was back when you had plausible deniability, something you no longer have." Clasping his hands behind his back, he slowly walked over to the now still as stone young lady that has given him the most entertainment he has had in a long while. Stopping about a foot from her and smirking at the spike of longing that entered her scent followed by confusion, he said nothing for a moment as he looked in her eyes.

When he did speak, his voice was matter of fact and off hand. "Tell you what Mea Pereche; I will give you a one hour head start. No one will stop you nor get in your way to slow you down. If you can make it to sunrise, you are safe for the day and we will resume at sunset. If you do not, you die."

Gulping, Bella tried to think through the fog that settled over her brain but was finding it far more difficult than she remembered to around him. Shaking her head to clear it as best she could, she nodded to him. "How long will this go on for before you leave me alone for good?"

Snorting, Stefan shook his head, "Until I grow tired of the game and end it. I have already told you, dragă inimă, that you were mine and I don't have any desire to give you up. This is simply for you and your state of mind that you gave it your best shot to escape so that you have no regrets when I end your life."

Blinking, Bella looked at him through her lashes, "then you're going to do to me what you did to my friends?"

Shaking his head in the negative, "Surely not. I have far different plans in mind for you. However, that aside for now, you are wasting time here, Pereche. If I were you, I would run now, and ask your questions later."

*X*

Countries away from the smirking vampire and fleeing human was another vampire that was absolutely fuming. Pacing back and forth in front of his overly amused brothers, Aro growled and snarled as the conversation he just had replayed in his mind. The entire class of Americans was reported missing and HIS city was the last place they were known to have been since there was no record of them leaving Italy. Add to that someone had fed within the city walls and the bodies were found by humans BEFORE they were found by his guards and you have a VERY pissed off vampire king.

He knew who was behind the shit storm he was currently trying to navigate, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. No, what he had to do right now was find the stupid human teenagers before the human authorities showed up and tore his palace and territory apart trying to find them on their own. He knew how this was going to go. Since this was the last place they were known to be, the humans wouldn't even consider that their children weren't there. The smartass one, Isabella if his memory served, was the daughter of a police chief that apparently had a lot of friends in really high places because this shouldn't even be CLOSE to a big deal to handle but the humans apparently had a lot of new shit to help locate lost kids that Aro was not familiar with and that was the problem.

Snarling again, he turned to look at his brothers and growled at the amused looks on their faces. "How the fuck can you possibly find this shit funny?"

Caius placed his chin in his palm and smirked at Aro, "It is not the situation I find so amusing Brother, simply your reaction to it. Surely Aro, you had to have seen something like this coming seeing as it has been, what, five decades since the last time the Romanians have done something to get under your skin."

Eyes darkening and all but spitting venom in his anger, Aro snarled again. "Those two little bastards are going to burn for this shit. Do you have any idea what they have started this time? This is not just a jab to piss me off; this is a worldwide issue and drawing far more attention than they could possibly have thought."

Snorting, Caius shook his head, "This is Stefan we're talking about Aro. That vampire lives to piss you off and I have no doubt that he knew exactly what he was doing when he thought this little game of his up. And I know you know it, too."

Growling again and crossing his arms, Aro glared at his brother that was taking far too much pleasure in this. "What then do you propose I do about this?"

Shrugging, Caius sat back in his chair, "There is nothing you can do until the humans are found. Until then I suggest you settle down and focus on that task first then on Stefan and Vladimir. But I am curious Brother, why are you even so pissed off about a bunch of humans missing? It happens all the time."

Pacing again, Aro growled, "It is not just the missing humans. There are also the four dead bodies that were found within the walls that were positively identified as residents which means one or the both of them were here and fed within my city and…"

It was Marcus that chimed in then, "You cannot prove that Aro and you know it. There were many visiting vampires that week for one and also no one came across the scents of either Romanian. You cannot place them in a crime scene just because you hate them."

Wide eyed, Aro stared at him for a long moment before speaking. "Marcus, surely you know as well as I that those two are behind this."

Marcus shrugged, "What I know and what I can prove are not the same thing Aro. Stefan ce Mare is a world renowned vampire, everyone knows that name and all are terrified of it as well as respect it. This is not 500 years ago when you stole the ruling power from him. You cannot simply jump to conclusions and jump into action. You now need hard proof before you can even think of going back up against a vampire of his caliber. He is both smart and resourceful in a way you cannot possibly imagine. What you are actually angry about is he has found a way to use your own laws against you not that a group of humans are now missing."

Aro crossed his arms again and cocked a brow, "Be that as it may, I know those two are behind this and they will pay for the headache that I know is coming, proof or no."

Sighing, Marcus simply shook his head at his stubborn brother and shut up. He knew there was no reasoning with him when he got going like this and truthfully, he had no desire to try. He warned him that this was not going to be as easy as it was 500 years ago and like always, Aro ignored him.

500 years ago when Aro took ruling power from the cousins it was not because he beat them, it was because Stefan LET him and apparently Aro is the only one that doesn't know that. Vladimir was a human prince and didn't care either way; he was born a royal and would always be one. Stefan is far happier being able to do whatever the fuck he wants and likes things as they are. He was always one to go against 'the man' and considering that he doesn't like Aro in the slightest and never had, getting to piss him off was an added bonus that again, apparently only Aro didn't see.

Marcus was far more in the know of the situation than Aro thought and Marcus also had no intentions of letting Aro in on any of it. You could think him petty if you want but he was still quite upset over Aro killing his mate so he always looked forward to the games that Stefan played with Aro's head. Marcus was sure that Stefan would never top the stunt from fifty years ago but it would seem that the cosmos really liked that guy or something because they aligned perfectly for him this time.

Marcus was positive and could also prove that Stefan was in the city last week because he felt the mating connection between him and one of the humans that is currently missing, hence the reason he stepped in when she pissed off Aro when she was there. He didn't know anything other than that, but he did know a few that did. Aro thought that he was infallible but he was just as flawed as the rest of the race. If you know what you are doing, you can in fact hide your past thoughts and actions from his gift. Just ask Felix, Afton, and Alec, Demetri or him or Caius. They did it all the time. Though Caius wasn't in the Romanian pocket like the few members of the guard were, he was well aware of the spies and double agents that ran free through the ranks of the Italian coven and found it funnier than hell.

Standing from his seat and excusing himself from Aro's tantrum, he waved Felix to follow and went to his study and waited for the guard to sit as well. Once he was, Marcus raised a bow, "Spill it."

Smirking, Felix did just that. "Lord Stefan was here and was responsible for the humans that were found last week. He is also behind the missing Americans but not for reasons that Aro thinks. He had first thought to kill them here but his plans changed when he saw Miss Isabella."

Marcus actually smiled at that. "She was a delight wasn't she? So this whole thing is about him gaining his mate, not to piss off Aro then?"

Felix snorted, "I think the mate is simply a bonus if I know my Lord as well as I think I do. All I know right now is his first plan was to kill three or four of the Americans here but figured if he did that she would not finish the journey to Romania. So, he left them alone and went home to work out his new plan but as of yet, I don't know what it is. Once Aro sends the group of us to Lord Stefan's palace to investigate, I will find out what he did and let you know Master Marcus."

Nodding, Marcus leaned back in his seat, "Be sure you do just that. Also, if you would, pass on my congratulations to him on his recent mating. I can honestly say I never thought him the type to take one."

Felix smiled, "It wouldn't have happened I don't think had he not seen her. I tell you Master, the girl is absolutely perfect for him. Bitchy, dark and can piss off Aro without even trying. Match made in hell by Satan himself."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Bella hadn't wasted a second more, after he told her to run, she did just that. Her head start was quickly running out and she didn't feel like she was moving at all. Looking over her shoulder, she could still see the palace and if she squinted hard enough she would swear that she could see him standing in a window just watching her. She knew that was a bunch of crap but it felt like it.

Huffing and growling in her throat, she was once again overcome with a begrudging respect for the fucker at the pure genius of the strategic placement of the estate. There was literally only one was in and one way out and it sucked if you were trying to escape, but she was sure that that was the point. As she traversed the windy roads and sparse foliage, she was now completely positive that had he not ran out of funds to pay his men; Stefan would have won that fucking war.

It took near all her time to get to a place that she could finally get off the road and into the cover of the woods. Was it smart? She didn't know nor did she care. This was the better idea in her limited options and she was going to take it. At this point she was not even opposed to stealing a fucking car, hell even stealing a horse crossed her mind. The area she was in was also limited in options and until she found the town she knew was around here somewhere, she would have to do what she could with the nothing she had.

Hurtling fallen trees and playing the ever fun game of 'bob and weave', she pushed herself past her point of stupid. It was getting darker and harder to see and she was sprinting as fast as she could; the definition of point of stupid, get it? Misjudging the height of a branch, her foot caught on the bark and she went down hard with a shriek of surprise.

Groaning, she pushed herself back to her feet and kept going, only slightly slower and paying more attention to what was in front of her. She knew the town was coming up and all she had to do was make it that far and she would be scot-free, but she had to make it in one piece for it to count. When the watch alarm on her wrist beeped to tell her, her time was up she could have SWORN she heard a deep chuckle as well. With a whimper, she picked up her pace again and changed her course. She could see light in the distance. All she had to do was make it there and she would be fine, she was sure of it.

It was another fifteen minute run before she broke the tree line and on to the back side of what she thought looked like a ranch type thing. She didn't care; she saw her chance and took it. There was a saddled up mare and not taking a moment to consider what she was about to do, she pulled herself up on its back, kicked at its ribs and pointed it in the direction of the exit. This was the only time in her life that she was glad for her mother's erratic hobbies. She learned how to ride a horse when she was seven and loved it enough to keep doing it even after her mother lost interest in the sport.

She heard a woman yelling at her but she just pushed the horse faster, preparing for the jump that was about to occur when the beast reached the fence. Squeezing her thighs and tightening her grip on the reins, she pulled her arms back and leaned forward into the jump. The moment all four feet were on the ground, she spurred the horse to its full speed. Looking over her shoulder and seeing that she was not being followed, she still pushed the horse for a little longer for distance reasons. She wanted it between her and what, or rather who, she knew was somewhere behind her.

*X*

Not in any hurry to go after his human, Stefan went to speak with his cousin before he left. Finding him in the throne room, like he knew he would, he crossed his arms and snorted, "I swear Vladimir, your ass will one day grow attached to that seat. Do you honestly have nothing else to do than just sit there day in and day out? Is there nothing you would rather do?"

Looking up from the book he was reading, Vladimir raised a brow, "You mean like chase a damsel across the country side?"

Stefan shook his head, "No, I mean like getting laid. Seriously cousin, it has been what, ten years for you now without someone to keep you occupied during the daylight hours. I do believe it to be time, even for your stuck up royal ass to get some."

Tilting his head to the side, "Get some what?"

Dropping chin to chest, Stefan sighed, "Never mind. What I was going to tell you was I believe that Aro should be sending a group of people to investigate the human disappearances soon. If I do not return before they show up, do not blow this like you almost did last time. I still have a few things up my sleeve and if you give the wrong information or too much of it like you are so prone in doing, my fun will be ruined and there is still so much more to be had."

Setting his book down at that, Vladimir gave him his full attention, "What would you have me say then Stefan?"

Shrugging, he turned to leave. "Say nothing at all. There is no trace of any of them here and by the time they show up even Isabella's scent will be gone. Allow them free reign to look around all they want but keep your fucking mouth shut. There is no reason to give Aro any indication of my plans until there is nothing left he can do to stop me."

Standing up and following after his cousin, Vladimir clasped his hands behind his back, "And what is your ultimate goal in this Stefan? It is clear that you are after more than Aro's sanity this time."

Pausing in his stride, Stefan looked over his shoulder at his cousin, confusion clear on his face, "Aro still has sanity left?" Pursing his lips and tilting his head to the side, "Damn it, I really thought I rid him of the last of it fifty years ago. No matter though, it really is only a matter of time before we find out if it is possible for a vampire to rip out his own hair. As for my final goal, there are many up and coming save points but I learned from previous mistakes cousin and I have seen enough movies to know that you never reveal everything no matter to whom you are speaking."

Vladimir snorted, "I do believe you have lost the last of YOUR sanity cousin."

Laughing out loud, Stefan smirked at him, "Truly? I shove sharp tree trunks up people's asses for fun. I do believe the ship for my sanity has sailed long ago dear Vladimir, I really do. That aside however, this is not even really about Aro any longer, that is simply as added bonus at this point."

Smirking at his cousin, Vladimir nodded, "No, I didn't think it was any longer. This is now about your damsel isn't it? Are you ready to admit you have claimed your mate yet or are you still going to say you are undecided?"

Stefan blinked at him, "I have not claimed her yet."

Huffing, Vladimir sighed, "What the hell do you call it then? I know you damn well plan to take Isabella as your mate."

Nodding his head and moving again, Stefan agreed, "I do in fact plan on that outcome. However, I would call her chosen because she has not yet been claimed. If she was, she would be here and I would not be getting ready to track her ass down."

Raising his brow, "You're the one that let her go Stefan."

Nodding, "I was and there is a reason for it."

"What could that possibly be?"

Rolling his eyes at the stupidity of his cousin, Stefan stopped again and turned to face him fully. "There are two reasons actually. One is I love playing mind games and you know that so the fact that I want to play one with her should not be a shock to anyone. The other is, by her scent, I know she feels a pull to me and this is a way for her to see that there is no escape for her and prove to her that she does, in fact, belong to me. If this necessity to run away of hers needs to happen, I will indulge her for a time but the end result will be the same either way. She will be mine fully in a week and that includes the three days it will take her to change to a more suitable mate."

Vladimir looked at Stefan a moment before his eyes widened, "You don't want to force her."

Shrugging, Stefan started to walk again, "If it can be avoided why should I have to? I would prefer her to come to me but make no mistake Vladimir, her compliance or not, in four days I will bite her whether she likes it or not."

Crossing his arms and stopping, Vladimir smirked, "She'll hate you if you force her."

Stefan simply shrugged as he hopped up and crouched on a windowsill before glancing over his shoulder again, "Her feelings are no longer my concern. She has been here a week and remained defiant the whole time. I would rather not have to force her but her choice is nonexistent. She will be mine and that is all there is to it." Looking to the sky to judge the time she has been gone, he chuckled when he saw her time was up. Lifting his hood but keeping it out of his face, he looked to Vladimir, "Remember, keep your damn mouth shut if the Volturi show up before I return and make certain that Radu does the task I gave him." Vladimir nodded and Stefan glared, "I mean it Vlad, it MUST be done before the Italians show up. He is your little brother, treat him like one for once and kick his ass if he slacks off or I am going to kick yours."

Holding his hands up and chuckling, Vladimir waved off the seemingly empty threat. "You have my word, whatever task you gave him will be done in time to thwart the Italians."

Snapping his teeth with a growl, "Don't think I am kidding Vladimir for I am not. If it is not done it will be the eternal death of your little brother."

Nodding once again, Vladimir watched Stefan jump from the window and slide down the roof of the palace and vault from the edge to the trees until he could no longer see him.

Turning away from the window, Vladimir chuckled, "and he still wonders why the humans think we turn into bats."

*X*

Taking a shortcut right down the side of the mountain, it didn't take Stefan long to catch up with then get in front of his human. He was lounging on a tree branch with a leg swinging back and forth when she ran right under him and into the pasture of the local stable. Following her with his eyes, he watched her fluid movements as she mounted one of the horses and hurdled the fence. Nodding his head in approval, "Hmm, not bad my dear, but you have to do better."

Hopping from his perch, he strolled out of the trees to the screaming woman and pulled a small sack of coins from his jacket pocket. "Silence yourself woman, she meant nothing by it."

The woman whipped around with a hand on her chest and gulped, "Lord Stefan, you startled me. You know her?"

Nodding and handing over the coin, he simply kept walking, "Indeed I do. That should cover the cost of your mare I believe." Looking over his shoulder, he called out, "If asked, you saw nothing, understand?"

The woman nodded but said nothing. She had learned at a very young age that if that man gave a command you followed it or you were never seen again. The entire village knew that he was not normal but no one even wanted to hazard a guess as to what he was, however everyone knew the rumors. She was in no hurry to piss him off and find out how many were true so she simply turned a blind eye to him, tucked the coin purse in her apron and went back to what she was doing before her night was interrupted and formulated a story in her mind to explain the disappearance of the mare and where she acquired the money. At the same time saying a prayer for the young lady because the woman was surely going to die.

Once Stefan was back within the tree line, he took to the trees since it was far easier to move. Catching back up with his human, he paced her mare but made sure to stay out of the beast's range of senses so as to not alert it of his presence. It would do no good to spook the horse and tip off Isabella. That would end the game far too soon. He planned to simply keep an eye on her and make sure that no harm befell her during her great escape. He would make himself know just after dawn unless he felt he needed to do so sooner. The rule of the game was sunset to sunrise. No need for her to know that she didn't even make it to town before he caught her.

When she started to slow the horse, Stefan veered off course a bit and scouted the area they were in to see where she was heading, swallowing a snort when he came across the faint scent trail of one his staff. She was heading in the direction of her classmates resting places. He knew she wouldn't reach it that night, but she would run right into one if she stayed on her current course.

Looking to the east, he could see the clouds getting darker and he could smell the slight scent of rain on the air. By this time tomorrow the scent trails that were left would be washed away as well as his involvement in the whole thing. Knowing that the humans were just reported missing, he knew that there was no way that the Italians would come through there before it rained. He didn't know what he did to gain the favor of karma but he was not going to question it. This entire situation was falling into place far better than he could ever have planned and he was left assuming that Aro had a LOT of bad juju to make up for and he paid his off for staying decapitated for half a decade when that little bastard cut off his head in the late 1400s. Stefan smirked in remembrance of how fantastic that son of a bitch tasted after not eating for so long.

Glancing over his shoulder when he heard a startled scream, he returned to his human, waited until she passed him before dropping to the ground behind the wolf that was after her. Snatching it up by the scruff of the neck, he tossed it into a tree and smirked at the sound of breaking bones. Crossing his arms, he looked at the corpse and once again thought about the empath that he once held so much respect for. He still could not understand how anyone could willingly eat that. He could smell the blood as well as any vampire could and honestly it turned his stomach. He was fully convinced that that shit was not fully by choice and there was some sort of threat of death on the poor fucker's head or something. Not even with as hungry as he was when he got his head back would he for a moment consider that an option for food and he was fucking starving. He filed that question away for the empath's next visit and fully planned to offer his assistance if he was right and that Bambi munching Cullen was threatening him because there could be no other option in Stefan's opinion.

Shaking his head again as a shudder ran his spine at the thought of drinking animal blood, he jumped back to the treetops and once again followed his human, sticking just a little closer to her to make sure something like that didn't occur again. There was no way in hell he was going to allow anything to harm her and knowing that this was feeding time for a lot of animals, he had his work cut out for him since there was still five hours left until sunrise.

*X*

Chuckling and shaking his head as he killed yet another predator, he looked in the direction of his human with a raised brow. "You just love to attract anything dangerous close to you don't you my dear." Over the last five hours he killed seven wolves, two boars, a bear and, believe it or not, another vampire. The animals were not a surprise, they wouldn't care who the girl was but the vampire should have known better. The girl was literally saturated in his scent, smelling more like him than she did herself and he still chose to attack. When he scraped his teeth across her neck last week a scent mark was left behind to tell everyone that she belonged to him. No, he would admit the vampire was anywhere close enough to smell the scent mark, but that was beside the point, she was his and no one was allowed to touch her, period.

Going around her and getting in front of her, he looked to the east again and saw the first rays of the sun peeking over the horizon. Leaping into a tree in her path, he simply sat on a branch and waited until she found him, knowing that she was heading straight for his position. He was looking at the sun rise when she yelped and the horse skidded to a stop. Glancing down at her a moment, he looked back to the sun, "Who is hunting who I wonder mea Pereche?"

Bella gulped and stuttered, "But, but you said…"

Smiling slightly, he looked back at her, "relax Isabella, you're safe for the day as promised." Turning away again, "Your little friend however needs something to drink or you're on foot come nightfall." Nodding to the right, "If you take her through there you will find a stream that should be clean enough for her to drink from."

Blinking at him, Bella wasn't sure if she should believe him or not. Swallowing hard, she bit her lip, "Why are you helping me?"

Raising a brow at her, "Is that what you think I'm doing?"

Shrugging as she dismounted, "Well, yeah. What do you call it?"

Tilting his head to the side, "Ensuring my continued entertainment. It wouldn't be any fun on my part chasing a human on her own feet. You're not nearly fast enough to keep my interest for long that way. Consider it a gift my dear. Once you water your horse I suggest you get some rest. You're in for a long night."

Bella baulked at that, "But there are wolves and stuff around here."

Nodding, Stefan stretched out and folded his hands on his stomach. "Yes there are, but don't worry too much about them. With me right here, they won't get too close and if they do, they will be dead long before you even realize they're there."

Starting at the comment, she blinked at him again, "You would really kill animals just to ensure your entertainment?"

Shaking his head, Stefan closed his eyes and shifted a little, "No. That would be me helping you."

Pursing her lips, Bella crossed her arms, "But why would help me if your plan in the end is to kill me anyways."

Cracking an eye open and looking at her, Stefan snorted. "Isabella, I have told you before; I have plans for you and they do not entail you getting eaten by a wolf. If you truly wish to speak with me I suggest it be after you ensure the survival of the horse you stole. I do not think you'll find another in the area if she dies."

Blushing a flaming shade of red, Bella closed her eyes, "How did you know I stole her and she wasn't just given to a terrified girl running for her life?"

Chuckling, Stefan looked at her fully, "You will learn my dear, that there is very little that goes on in my territory that I do not know about. But to actually answer your question, I heard the woman screaming at you to bring her back her horse. If the beast was given to you, I should think the phrasing would have been a tad different and far less hostile. The woman was pissed."

Covering her face, Bella shook her head, "I know and I felt bad about it but… wait a second." Looking up at him with wide eyes, "How the hell did you hear her yelling at me? It only took me ten minutes after the hour was up to reach the farm."

Smirking, Stefan shrugged and closed his eye again. "I believe that was already answered Isabella, it is up to you to believe me or not, I really don't care. However, that does not negate the fact that you ran the poor thing ragged and it needs to eat, drink and rest or you're going to be shit out of luck later."

Rubbing her arms and biting her lip, Bella looked in the direction of the supposed stream and shuddered. Looking at the horse and seeing the shape she was in, Bella knew she had to do as she was told, but she wasn't entirely sure that this wasn't a trick and if it wasn't, she wasn't entirely sure it was safe. Sighing, her shoulders sagged and she glanced back at the man in the tree. Shifting her weight from foot to foot a few times, her mind tried to figure out his angle but couldn't figure out any reason for him to lie to her about a water source. Licking her lips and hugging herself tighter, she called up to him, "You'll know if something goes wrong right?"

Not opening his eyes, Stefan nodded and waving his hand, "Off you go dragă inimă. You wouldn't want to be responsible for the death of something that is not even yours would you?"

Grabbing the reigns and keeping a wary eye on the man, Bella slowly made her way under his perch and through the bushes that he said hid a stream. When it came into view, she let out the breath she was holding and patted the horse's thigh to tell her to go drink and she sat down on a rock, turned to the side so she keep an eye on both the horse and the way she came. If she positioned herself in just the right way, she could see the man that claimed to be Stefan ce Mare still sitting in the same position in the tree.

Cocking her head to the side, she took the cover and vantage point she had to study him. He might have been an asshole to the tenth degree, he was still absolutely fuckhot and she couldn't deny that she did feel strangely safe with him so close. She would almost say that part of her felt at peace with him there. She would readily admit the man scared the ever living shit out of her, but she wasn't entirely sure he would hurt her. True, he said he was going to kill her but he also said that he had plans for her and it didn't involve doing to her what he did to her friends and classmates. If he wasn't going to do that to her, than what the fuck WAS his plan for her. She didn't know and REALLY didn't want to find out.

Placing her chin in her hand, she sighed and glanced at the horse. She didn't seem too worried about him and knowing an animal's fight or flight instinct as well as she did, she took this as the guy was going to keep his word and keep an eye on them for the day. Looking back, she jumped when she saw his bright red eyes looking back at her. Biting her lip and dropping her eyes to the ground, Bella shifted and changed her train of thought for the time being to other, non-important things, ignoring the confusing flutter of her heart and burning in her gut.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Stefan was lounging on a tree branch on the third day of the game overlooking a small field that was currently over run my humans with shovels and pickaxes. He had a knee bent with his foot on the branch with his arms folded over the knee while the other leg swung back and forth, his cape fluttering in the breeze. Even from the distance he was he could clearly make out every word said by the humans. It would seem that a set of remains were located but they were having trouble finding all the pieces.

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Stefan snorted, "No shit. They have been out here for over a week gentlemen. The animals were bound to find them first." Hearing the approaching hoof falls of his human's horse he fought a smirk. "Oh, this should be interesting." He knew she wouldn't be able to make out the details, but he knew well enough that she will know what was happening and as any human would, would think that the game was over. "Not by a long shot."

Looking over his shoulder, he saw her pull on the reigns and slow the horse. Raising a brow at her when she dismounted and slowly walk to his tree, he looked down at her and tilted his head to the side and waited for her reasoning for coming to him as she was. When she was directly under him, she crossed her arms and looked up at him.

Biting her lip and sighing, Bella's shoulders were hunched up but her body language clearly said she was giving up. "I'm cold, tired and hungry and this is never going to end, is it?"

Tisking lightly, Stefan said nothing, simply turned back to the field and watched the humans continuing to hunt for something to identify the body they found. After a time, he glanced back at his human and tilted his head to the side, "So you are giving up then are you?"

She shrugged, "I don't think of it as giving up. I think of it as self-preservation."

He snorted, "Do you now? Tell me, how did you draw that conclusion knowing that in the end, you are going to die by my hand yet here you are?" Licking her lips, Bella thought about that and realized how stupid it really did sound but didn't comment on it. Nodding to her he smirked, "I thought as much." Looking back to the field, he motioned for her to have a glance, "You still have a chance to escape if you choose to take it. The rule of the game was you were safe during the day and even overcast as it is currently, it is still daylight hours. I am sure they could certainly use your help in identifying the body for they seem incapable of doing so on their own." Crossing his arms and pursing his lips, "from the sounds of it, they are even unsure if it is a male or female they found."

Looking down the side of the hill, Bella's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the rescue hunters. Blinking back tears at the sight, she looked up at the man in the tree, "What's the catch?"

Shaking his head, "No catch. You are allowed to use any means you can to flee. I never said that you were not allowed to continue to run during the day, you stopped on your own when the sun rose. However, I warn you, if you continue to flee, I will continue to give chase. You asked a question a moment ago and now I will answer it; no, this won't end until I decide to end it." looking up through the trees he smirked and, not looking back at her but knowing she was gearing up to run, he called down to her, "I will see you shortly mea Pereche."

Freezing cold at the darkness in his voice, Bella's eyes widened and her head snapped around so fast she gave herself a twinge. "But, why?"

Chuckling and shaking his head, Stefan hopped down from his branch and landed in front of her, blocking her exit. "Allow me to clear this up for you Isabella because I don't think you fully understand the rules of the game you're playing. There is no place safe enough for you hide. No matter where you are, go or find yourself, I will be right behind you, watching for that perfect moment of weakness and THAT is when I will end it. You are free to run to them, I will not stop you. However, come nightfall the game commences and, if necessary, I will kill every single one of them that stupidly stand between me and my prize."

Looking over her shoulder at the humans that were SO CLOSE, she looked back at him, "You would kill them for protecting me?"

Crossing his arms, he gave her a look that clearly told her how stupid that question was. "With no issue. You are not theirs to protect nor theirs to keep from me. If they try to do so, it will be a painful lesson to learn not to stand between a territorial vampire and his possessions. But, as I said, you are welcome to go to them. I am sure they put up an entertaining fight if nothing else."

Feeling her face get hot at once again being referred to as an object, she lost the last thread of her temper and yelled at him, "You're fucking nuts, you know that? You are nothing but a crackpot asshole and you need help chief if you think you're a fucking vampire. News flash dickhead, vampires are NOT real."

Bending at the waist and locking his eyes with her, his eyes full of a sadistic amusement and voice full of mirth, "Than you should have nothing to worry about, should you My Dear? Run to them, scream for help, tell them all about the freak that killed your friends and held you captive for so long. Yell to God himself that you are the lone survivor of a group of twenty-one that went to Dracula's castle never to be seen again. Go, do it." Flashing a razor sharp teeth filled smirk at her, "Alert them to where to find me. I will even stand right here for you to point out so they know you are not lying."

All but choking on the fear in her blood fogging her better judgment, she spit in his face and, not waiting to see the fallout of THAT bad idea, she pivoted on her toes and darted away, running as fast as she could down the hill, once again dodging trees and bushes, whimpering in her throat when the sound of laughing reached her ears.

Using the side of his finger, Stefan whipped the spit from his cheek and laughed out loud as he watched his human do exactly what he thought she was going to do. Humans always have been predictable and she was no different. Smirking and looking to the sky again, he counted the final minutes to sunset and wondered if she realized how little time she really had left with her freedom. He said he would give her four nights and this was number four.

Leaning on his shoulder on the tree he spent his day in, he all but waved at her when he saw her look over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't following her. He knew she would just make it to the field before her time was up, possibly even have enough to spin her tail before the bloodbath started. There were ten humans currently in that field and in under an hour there would be ten more dead bodies for the local wildlife to scavenge. THAT was only part a vampire should have with animals. They were made to clean up a vampire's meal, not BE a vampire's meal. Once again shuddering at the thought of eating Bambi, he listened in when he heard her start yelling for help, that there was someone after her.

Snorting, Stefan shook his head, "such dramatics." However, true to his word, he stood perfectly still as she pointed him out to the mass of humans that were running to help her. To them, he did wave, smiled, too, but he doubted very much they saw that. He saw them directing his human to one of the vehicles present but was curious as to why they didn't radio in that they had found a living American. Tilting to his head, he looked over the treetops and snorted when he realized that his staff had dropped the body in a dead zone. The humans would have to drive at least twenty minutes for their radios to work and by then, they would all be dead, be would have his human back in his possession permanently and he could go home.

As soon as his internal clock chimed sunset, he clapped his hands together and smiled, "Well, let's get started then."

Leaping into the air, he soared over the heads of the two that went to confront him and landed silently behind them. The last meal he had was his human's teacher so that was the fate of those two. Wiping his mouth off, he looked over his shoulder down to the clearing and smiled, "Two down, eight to go."

Vanishing before the human's eyes, he ghosted around the side of the hill and cut off the only exit point that the jeeps could take. When the driver saw him, he slammed on the brakes and cut the wheel, throwing Bella from one side of the seat to the other, cracking her head on the roll bar. It didn't knock her out, but it did blur her vision and knock her for a loop.

She watched through hazy eyes as the man in the passenger seat was pulled from the still moving jeep and felt the jump of the car when he was run over by the back wheels. Blinking to try and clear her vision, she called to the driver to watch out, pointing to Stefan as he appeared from nowhere, once again in the jeep's path.

Not stopping this time, the driver laid on the gas with every intention of running the fucker over, but the plan was thwarted when he jumped OVER the top of the car, flipping in the air and landing in a crouch behind them. Not looking back, the driver pushed harder on the gas and once again directed the car out of the field and onto the servos road.

Stefan watched them leave with a smirk. "See you in a bit my mate." Looking at the six remaining humans running his way with their pitchforks, he snorted, "You cannot possibly be serious." When they kept coming he shrugged, "Perhaps you are then. Very well, let us dance gentlemen."

The first to reach him was disarmed with no effort and found his pitchfork lodged deep in the back of his skull… for all of two seconds before Stefan pulled it back out with a wet and sickening sucking popping sound; blood, bone and brain matter marring the metal. Tossing it aside, he smiled at the five others that were no longer advancing before snapping his teeth and darting into the huddle of men. Arms, legs, hands, feet, any matter of body parts flew through the air, blood splattering the ground and the all but giggling vampire as he laid waste to the humans. There were so many pieces that there was no possible way to ever find them all much less pair them to the right body. Three of them were ended that way and one was eaten because he was still a bit peckish. The last and in Stefan's opinion the only coward since he tried to run, was strung up by his entrails on a tree branch and left to swing in the breeze.

Glaring at the human that was future bird feed, "That is what happens when you turn your back on your comrades. Cowardice is highly disgraceful. If you had tried such a thing in my army, I would have impaled you for it." There was a gurgle and Stefan snorted at the still breathing man. "Of course not. I have done worse to people for less than that. The fact is, you were dead the moment my mate decided to ask for your help. Had you just accepted your fate like a man and not a coward, you wouldn't currently be suffering. Perhaps if you pray for it, you will bleed to death before the scavengers show up and begin feeding on your heart though I highly doubt it. I have gotten quite good at this kind of torture over the centuries. You are near certain to feel every peck of the vulture's beak." As he turned and started to follow the trail left by the jeep, he paused when the human piñata gurgled and coughed again. Glancing over his shoulder, "You are welcome to try if you ever see me in hell, though if Satan himself could not destroy me, what chance could a peon like you possibly have?"

Turning away again and ignoring the man, Stefan rubbed his hands together, "Now, to fetch my mate and go home."

It didn't take him long to catch up with the still floored jeep. By the sound of the engine, the ATV was not used to the abuse it was currently suffering and if the slight wisps of smoke coming from under the hood, it didn't like it. Once again getting in its path, Stefan simply crossed his arms and stood there and didn't even blink an eye when he heard his human scream at the sight of him. When the driver once again pushed the car faster, Stefan snarled at the fact that he was disregarding the safety of the cargo on board, a fatal mistake for stupid prick.

Hopping up on the hood of the jeep when it was close enough, he punched through the glass windshield and wrapped his hand around the throat of the driver, squeezed tight and winked at his human before he removed the man's head. Since there was no top in the car, it was child's play removing his human from the car and with her shocked and still half dazed from hitting her head before, she put up no fight when he scooped her up in his arms and leapt into the trees, landing lightly on a branch. He watched the jeep slam into a tree, covering his mate with his cape when the abused vehicle ignited.

Moving the cloth from her face, he smirked at the passed out human in his arms. "And that is game over." Dipping his head, he whispered in her ear not caring if she could hear him because it no longer mattered. "When you wake up dragă inimă, the real fun can begin."

Shifting his hold ever so slightly, he brushed her hair from her neck and grabbed it to pull her head back a bit. Running his nose along her pulse point, his lips brushed her skin as he whispered, "I killed for you, now burn for me." Lips pulling back from his teeth, his eyes closed as he bit into her skin and the taste of her blood touched his tongue. She was far sweeter than he imagined her to be by her scent. He was expecting her to have a citrusy flavor, but he was reminded of caramel and apples opposed to honey and lemon.

Drinking until her heart began to slow; he stopped pulling and pushed his venom into her veins, sealing it with his tongue when he was done. Pulling back and tilting his head to the side as he took in his mark on her neck, he nodded to himself. "That should do it. Now, let's get you home. In a few hours, that is really going to hurt."

Standing up and securing his mate in his hold, he glanced at the burning jeep and, with a look at the color of the cloud coverage, he was certain that the fire would be put out in no time when the rain started. Stepping off the branch and onto solid ground, he darted away in the direction of his palace, leaving the carnage he made in his wake and only the bodies and moving leaves witness to his disappearing presence.

*X*

Moving at the speed only a vampire is privy, he reached his palace within hours opposed to the days it would have otherwise. Leaping from terraces and balconies to different sections of roof, he climbed up the outside of the building to the balcony outside his chambers and entered that way instead of going the long way on the inside. His Isabella hadn't started screaming yet, but it was only a matter of moments before that changed. He had no sooner placed her on the bed that she seemed to awaken and her pain filled scream rang out and bounced off the walls and made his own ears ring. Sighing slightly and rubbing the abused appendage, he shrugged off his cape and got a look at himself in a mirror on the wall.

Chuckling at the nightmarish sight he made, he now understood the shock she felt at seeing him in the woods before he bit her. Gathering fresh clothing, he vanished into the bathroom to clean up before he went to find his cousin and find out what happened when the Italians showed up. He could clearly smell Felix's scent so he knew that they were very recently in his home so he wanted a status report.

Fifteen minutes later, fresh and clean, Stefan emerged from the bath and, with one last glance at his changing mate, he quit the room and walked to the throne room where he was positive to find Vladimir sitting in his seat doing nothing but twiddling his thumbs.

He was not disappointed.

Shaking his head, he snorted but said nothing as Vladimir stood from his chair and clapped his hands. "Congratulations on your mating Stefan. I dare say it is about damn time you got back. Your little band of idiots showed up the day after you left and we were hard pressed to remove Isabella's scent before then."

Clasping his hands behind his back, Stefan glanced out of the corner of his eye at Radu who was standing off to the side, "But you were able to, yes?"

Nodding and crossing his arms, Vladimir responded, "Barely, but yes; there was no trace of it by the time Felix and the rest arrived. He was most put out that you were not here to greet him, said he would return at a later date but I am unsure if that was a threat or promise on his part. With him you can never be certain."

Pursing his lips, "No, I don't suppose you can. Now, tell me what transpired during the visit and search. I am just dying to know."

Vladimir snorted and Radu chuckled. "You were spot on cousin. Aro is fully convinced of at least your involvement in the spectacle and, according to Felix, plans on retaliation no matter if he can actually prove it. The king is so far passed pissed off that the guard is not sure what he will do in the end to make you pay for the outrage."

Rubbing his hands together, Stefan smirked a dark smile. "Perfect. It seems that he is nearly where he needs to be for this to work. The last piece of the puzzle will be in place in three days." Looking back at Radu, "Send Helga to keep an eye on the royal palace. Instruct her to keep an eye out for anything that tells of Aro's plans for me and report back as soon as she has something. I need a timeline as well. If anything, anything at all comes up that could put a wrench in my plans I need to know as soon as possible. I also need to know if he plans on showing up personally before my mate awakens. Knowing Aro, he will hope to catch us off guard and I do not want him to have that advantage again. I might have allowed him to win last time but he can cause all sorts of problems if he shows up before Isabella wakes. If something happens to her…"

Radu didn't need for his lord to finish that sentence. He was well aware what a male vampire will do if something happens to his mate. He was aware that Marcus was an anomaly. They do not simply give up, they seek revenge on the murderer and he KNEW that Lord Stefan wouldn't stop with Aro if his mate was hurt. Lord Stefan would depopulate the planet if anything happened. So, nodding his head, "It will be done My Lord. Anything else?"

Tapping his finger to his chin, Stefan nodded, "Yes actually. Find that tracker that stops and visits every year, James I think his name is, and inform him I wish to speak with him. I need him to locate a few friends of mine."

Blinking at the request, Radu drew his brow down, "I think he and his mate are in the Americas this time of year."

Stefan shrugged, "That would be your problem would it not? Find him and have him report to me as soon as he is able."

Groaning in his throat at the thought of having to track down a tracker, he nodded, "Yes my Lord. I will see to it. Who shall I say you are looking for?"

"You won't. You will simply tell him I am in need of his talents, nothing more."

Nodding again, Radu swept from the room, trying to figure out how the fuck he was going to find a tracker that refused to use a cell phone. The only way he could think to do so was to put the word out that Stefan was looking for him and HOPE James runs into a vampire sometime in the next few days or Stefan was going to have his head.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sitting in a chair across the room from his still changing mate, Stefan was reading a book that was in her luggage bag when his phone started to ring. Glancing at the tiny piece of metal out of the corner of his eye, he debated on answering it or letting it go to voicemail again. The damn thing has been ringing near off the hook for three hours and he wasn't expecting any calls. He had already spoken to his tracker and he clearly told him to tell those he was hunting to SEE him, not call.

With a sigh, he figured that if he didn't answer it now, it would keep ringing. So, scratching his temple and setting the book down, he grabbed the phone and looked at the screen, a small smirk lifting his lips at the country code flashing at him.

"What do you have for me?" Nodding slowly, both brows jumped to meet his hairline, "That quickly huh? Seems Aro is not wasting any time this time around. When should I expect him?" Shaking his head in the negative, "No, no problem at all. By then there will be nothing left he can…" Pausing a moment he snorted, "Please, Aro has never been issue Marcus. The man is so stuck up his own ass he cannot see past the shit he sprouts. By the time he arrives everything will have fallen into place and he will find himself on the wrong side of a newborn protecting her home." Standing and walking to the side of the bed, he looked down at the changes to his mate and smiled, "No, I am not concerned about that either. Between the sire connection and mating mark, she will be perfectly behaved." Pausing to listen again, he reached out, moved her hair from her face and caressed her cheek with the side of a finger. "On the contrary, I am sure she is going to be plenty pissed off when she wakes up and I await the coming tantrum. It promises to be one for the books." Chuckling at the other end of the line, he once again shook his head. "I do so hope you're right. It wouldn't be any fun any other way." Hearing Bella's heart beginning to stutter, he looked up and saw her eyes twitch, "I must go now Marcus. Isabella is going to wake soon." Nodding, "Will do, and you as well."

Hanging up the phone and tossing it to the chair he had occupied for the past three days, he stood and took a step back to give her a little space. Knowing how prone newborns are to attacking the first thing they see; he wanted at least a second of reaction time.

And that was all it was.

Her eyes didn't flutter open, they snapped open, her lips pulled back from her teeth and she shot off the bed like someone kicked her, launching herself at Stefan without a moment's hesitation. Rolling his eyes, his hand shot out, and pressing hard onto her chest plate, he used her momentum against her and had her on her back before the snarl left her throat. Red locked with black as Bella struggled against the pressure on her useless lungs as she growled and snapped at the man's smirking face.

Venom spilling from the corner of her lips, she shouted, "What did you do to me?"

Giving her the look of exasperation, "if you will calm perhaps I will answer that."

Twisting away from him when he loosened his grip, she stayed crouched to the ground. "Answer me, what did you do?"

Stefan stood and crossed his arms, "exactly what I said was I going to." Not liking the condescending tone, she snarled and lunged at him again only to once again find herself on her back with his smiling face inches from hers. Stefan chuckled at her, "I like this position. Perhaps soon we can revisit it in a different capacity at a later time."

Bucking her hip to dislodge him, he met her thrust and she stilled, her eyes going wide and her jaw dropping. She looked up at him and her mouth moved but nothing but a squeak came out.

Chuckling at her, Stefan tisked, "You might be a newborn vamp with strength unparalleled but you are not now or will ever be a match for my experience. So, unless you like being on your back I suggest you settle because you are not moving until I allow it." When his mate made no move to budge, he nearly pouted. "Very well, now I am sure you're thirsty. Shall we feed you or do you want continue to act like a child?"

Bella licked her lips and swallowed the thick liquid that rushed up her throat at the mention of thirst and whimpered at the accompanying fire. Her eyes itching like she was crying, she looked at Stefan with a pleading look, bringing a softer look to his eyes.

"If I release you, you will behave yes?" At her nod, he let go of her wrists and, grabbing her hands, pulled her to her feet as he stood himself. Giving her a once over, he straightened her top and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Follow me and we will see to the burn but do not stray or this is going to take longer than necessary and you will continue to suffer, understood?" he watched her grab at her throat and nod again. "Wonderful."

Bella followed him, her eyes darting all over the place, taking in every detail that her old eyes missed. It was strange and hard to focus on any given thing; everything wanted her attention at once. The new colors she never knew existed, the scents she couldn't name. Nothing was missed but it was too much. Passing a window, she had to close her eyes and cover her nose with her arm while trying to block out the deafening noise, the light from the setting sun far too bright and overly painful to her eyes and all the conflicting scents from outside and in overloading her nose and making her sneeze and gag.

Glancing over his shoulder at the whine he heard, he paused at the sight of his mate. Removing his cape, he placed it around her shoulders and placed the hood on her head in way that the extra fabric would shield her eyes. When her eyes opened and looked in his, he smiled at her and kept his voice down when he saw her wince at the volume, "this carries nothing but my own scent. Cover your nose with it and it should block everything else out until you adjust to your newly heightened sense of smell. Unfortunately, there is very little that can be done for your ears at the moment. Though I must admit, I have never seen such a sense sensitive newborn before."

Swallowing another mouthful of venom and covering her nose like she was instructed, she whimpered again, "I can taste it."

Tilting his head to the side and crossing his arms, Stefan wondered, "Taste what Isabella?"

Gagging on more venom that was now flowing faster and thicker than before, she drooled a little when she answered, "everything." A wolf howled in the distance and she covered her ears at the sound. "When will it stop?"

Stefan rubbed his chin a moment, "That I am unsure about my dear. It will depend on how quickly you become accustomed to it, I suppose. Your senses will never diminish if that is what you are asking about. You will grow used to it over time, but that is about it."

It was then that one of the staff rounded the corner and yelped far too loudly at the sight of both his master and his new Lady. The sound bounced around Bella's ears making her cry out and, without thinking about it, she covered her ears and pressed her face in Stefan's chest with a whimper. Stefan wrapped an arm around her, pulling her a little closer so she felt protected and growled at the man who was staring wide eyed at his mate. "You would do well to keep your voice down."

Nodding quickly, "Forgive me my Lord, my Lady."

Glaring at his staff member, he snorted and to save both time and his mate unnecessary pain, his picked her up and ghosted through the well-worn path out of the palace to the stables where he had Radu put his mate first meal. Stopping just outside the door, he set her on her feet but still held her by the hips. Butting her head to get her attention, "Humans have the ability to get quite loud; however, after you feed it might make things a little more bearable for you."

She looked up at him and her face told him how painful her hearing actually was. She could hear the heartbeats of the humans inside but it sounded like thunder to her ears. The scent of blood was so strong that is overtook Stefan's scent on his cape that was still pressed to her nose making her head spin with the odor. It was a fantastic smell to be sure, but it was so strong that she couldn't separate them into each individual human.

Glancing at the building, Stefan cocked his head to the side in thought a moment, "I can go in first and crush their windpipes so they cannot scream if you like. Other than that there is little I can do to make this easier for you."

She had no idea why that sounded as sweet as it did, but she smiled a little at the offer anyways but she shook her head.

Stefan shrugged, "Offer stands if you change your mind My Dear." Grabbing the door handle, "Are you ready?" She looked at the door and gulped another mouthful venom down and nodded. "Very well, eat to your heart's content Pereche."

Throwing the door open, he didn't even have to give her that first push inside like he thought. The moment she took a breath without his cape over her nose, she moved like lightning, attaching her mouth the throat of the first human to cross her path. She had her drained before anyone even noticed the difference in light in the room. When she dropped the body, everyone froze for a moment and stared at the dark goddess standing there with blood dripping from her chin. She lifted her eyes and smirked at the shell shocked humans before a growl built up in her throat. With a snarl, she darted to the next, ripping out his throat and her face pinched when the first scream hit the air. She growled at the noise, but didn't let go of her meal. When that one was gone, the one that scram was next.

In the end, out of the five humans that were in the barn, she ate three but all five died. The two she didn't eat still had their throats removed for hurting her ears. Stefan was lounging in the rafters watching his mate during her first feeding and was astonished at the level of viciousness she showed. Looking down on her from his vantage point, he smirked at the sight of her. She had basically bathed in the blood she didn't swallow. She was covered in it. Her hair was matted to her skull; her once black clothing was wet and red. His cape was so saturated with blood that it looked to weigh her down. Her face was smeared in crimson and her fingers dripped with it.

Dropping down and landing silently in front of her, he set his hands on her hips and dipped his head, licking the blood from her neck over his bite mark. "How do you feel now?"

Bella's eyes slid closed at the feel of his tongue and was once again overcome with confusion to the effect the man had on her. Her head tilting to the side on its own accord, a quiet moan sounded in her throat. "Better I think. It's not quite so loud."

Dragging his teeth across her flesh, he purred, "Good. You are a messy eater though."

Lifting her hands and seeing the blood sliding down her fingers and pulling in her palms, she pursed her lips, "you might be right."

He chuckled and pressed a light kiss to her temple. "It gets easier with time dragă inimă, do not worry. Once you master your strength you will find that it is easier not to rip your meal apart when you want them to be still."

Looking up at through her lashes, "not to be rude, I have seen you kill before and you're just as bad."

Smirking, "Not when I am eating my…" pausing a moment, he relented, "Alright, I will give you that as well. There are times that simply feeding is not enough and a little violence is in order."

She smiled at him and raised a brow, "A little?"

Chuckling, Stefan turned her towards the exit to head back inside. "Yes, a little. You really have seen nothing if you think the bodies you have seen me leave behind are the extent of my talents. You should have seen the beauty of the 1500s. THAT was picture perfect violence."

She looked up at him and bit her lip, "So you really are THE Stefan ce Mare from the 1400s?"

He nodded, "The one and same, yes. And that really is my cousin Vlad III."

Eyes wide, Bella's jaw dropped, "Wow."

Stefan snorted, "I'll do you one better. The Marcus you met in Italy, he is one and the same that is celebrated every year for running out the local vampires."

"No way."

He nodded again, "I do not lie my dear. Though, running them out is a bit of a stretch to the truth, more like relocated. Every vampire that resides in the city simply stay in the palace unless otherwise told and do not feed within the walls." Pausing, he hummed, "But I suppose that is not much of a truthful statement either. They eat in the palace. The lazy fucks have their meals delivered to them instead of hunting their meal properly."

Blinking at the statement, "But you delivered my meal."

Looking down at her, he nodded once again, "Yes, but the difference is, you are a newborn vampire, and they are not. They have the control over their bloodlust to be able to be around humans and not lose their inhibition and slaughter everyone in sight, you do not. In a few months, we will start to get you used to the scent of blood without killing. For the next three or four, you will be confined to the grounds to avoid accidents that cannot be explained away. However, any humans stupid enough to come up here uninvited are all yours."

She shook her head, "But this is a tourist attraction. They will be here all the time."

Stefan shrugged, "Not unless I allow it. This is my home before it is anything else and every human that comes here, or leaves as the case may be, is by my choice and I do not make it the norm to eat the tourists. I find that is bad for business."

Looking at the ground, "You ate my friends."

Tisking, "I only ate three of them and that was their whole purpose of being here. I was going to eat them in Italy, but plans do tend to change depending on circumstances. Had I done what I wanted in the first place, you wouldn't be here right now."

Stopping and gawking at him, Bella choked on her tongue. "You killed them because of me?"

Turning to her, Stefan snorted, "Heavens no. I killed you because of you. I killed your friends and classmates for another reason entirely." Crossing his arms, he leaned a shoulder on the tree next to him. "Do you recall Aro, the narcissistic asshole who calls himself a king?" At Bella's nod, he continued, "That was not always the case. Vladimir and I were the original rulers of our world. 493 years ago, the up and coming ass decided that he wanted the power to lord over the vampire race. So, he came here with an army of idiotic followers and stormed our home, destroyed priceless paintings and other art that can never be replaced and that I was quite fond of.

"He left the victor of the day because I allowed him to and I swear that he is the only one that does not know that, but being the kind of man he is that is really no surprise. Anyways, Aro is the kind of vampire that needs complete control, total compliance and endless faithfulness and I despise him. So, because of my sheer hatred of the man, I have made it my mission in life to make his as difficult as possible. Your friends, I am afraid, were collateral damage this time around.

"Aro's laws demand absolute secrecy of our race. By that I mean that humans are not allowed to even assume our kind is real. If one ever gets too close to the truth, they are either turned into a vampire or become the meal of one. Personally, I think that is stupid. We are the higher life form on the planet and he wants us to hide in shadow and myth, it's insulting but he thinks that the humans are to be protected from us hence the reason that feeding in the Royal city is strictly prohibited."

Bella was sitting on the ground listening to him, but she couldn't make heads or tails of the context. "That's great and all but what does it have to do with you killing my friends?"

Sighing, Stefan looked at her, "I am getting to that but I highly doubt you are going to like the answer. Since relinquishing power over the vampire race, life tends to get very boring around here and until recently there has been very little in the way of entertainment."

She growled, venom once again gathering in her mouth as her temper rose, "You killed them for entertainment?"

Stefan nodded, "I told you, you were not going to like the answer. However, if you will let me finish."

Bella leapt to her feet. "Fuck you. You killed my friends because you were bored!"

Again, Stefan nodded, "That was part of it, but the actual reason was to piss off Aro. The media attention and human involvement in his life over the disappearance of you and your friends was why I did anything at all. As I said before, my original plan was to kill a few of you back in Italy but things changed."

She bared her teeth at him and snarled, "What changed?"

Stefan chuckled at her temper, "You are just like a kitten testing her claws aren't you? Adorable. You were the one to change my plans. I knew that if I killed anyone in Italy, you would return home and NOT come here and that was something I couldn't allow." Pushing off the tree, he slowly stalked up to his pissed off mate, grabbed the tie to his cape she still wore and pulled her to him. Eyes locked and nose to nose, his lips brushed her as he spoke again. "Tell me dragă inimă; do you feel the heat that engulfs you when I am near? Do you recall your heart hammering that much faster and harder before I stilled its beat? You want to hate me for what I have done, you want to claw my eyes from my skull to be sure, but you cannot, can you? You want so much to flee again and never look back but your feet stay still and unmoving. Your scent betrays your confusion but it tells me of your deepest longing as well. You want to hate me because you know you cannot live without me, not anymore."

Eyes darkening with every word, but it was because she was pissed off he was right. Still, defiant as ever, "You're fucking nuts. I hate you because you're an asshole that deserves to die for what you did."

Smirking against her slightly trembling lips, Stefan chuckled, "Perhaps, but you want to know a little secret? You cannot kill me."

Eyes narrowing, "But I can sure as hell try."

Dropping his voice lower; horribly veiled amusement coloring his tone, "Do it then my dear, I won't even try and stop you but I promise you, you will do nothing but hurt yourself because I know a little something you do not."

Glaring so hard it nearly hurt, "Yeah, what's that?"

His voice a whisper, "You would sooner fuck me than kill me."

Before she could find her voice to protest that comment, she was silenced by Stefan's lips pressed to hers in a brutal kiss that both stole her breath and her anger. Her limbs relaxed seemingly of their own volition and completely against her will, she found herself pressed tightly to his chest, her hands fisted in his shirt as his fingers laced through her hair, pulling her ever closer. Her eyes slid shut and a gasp escaped her when she felt his tongue brush her lips, cleaning off the last of the blood before he took full possession of her mouth.

Growling at the taste of her mouth, Stefan used the grip on her hair to tilt her head for a better angle, smirking slightly at the moan that caressed his ears. The scent of his mate's arousal permeated the air around him, saturating his senses with the thick musk. It was so much stronger now than it was when she was a human and he was convinced that he would never find a scent as intoxicating as this even if he actually looked for one.

Once he was sure that she was going to stay silent, he pulled back from her, licking the last of her flavor from his lips. Humming in approval, "Delicious, I can only imagine how divine you taste in other places. Sadly, that is something that will have to wait for another time. I need to see to a few things before the guest of honor shows up and you need a bath."

Dazed black eyes looked up at Stefan and he smiled at her with his head still cocked to the side, "One thing first and then I will show you back to our chambers; do you still want to kill me?"

Bella blinked and shook her head to dispel the fog that settled over her brain but found it was some stubborn shit. She tripped over her words a moment before shaking her head, "What?"

Chuckling, Stefan extended his arm and she took it again without thought. "Nothing my dear. Let us get you cleaned up and presentable. You are going to be fantastic."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

It took Bella over an hour to get all the blood out of her hair so the water ran clear. The entire time she was in the shower she was on autopilot, her mind a million miles from her task. Her mind refused to think of anything other than that kiss. She KNEW she was mad at him, but for the unlife of her, she couldn't remember why the fuck it was. All she could think about was the feel of his chest under her hands, the taste of his tongue on her pallet. She already knew the fucker was dangerous, but she never thought he was a danger to her. No, she still didn't think he would harm her, but he was still a dangerous son of a bitch to her if he could render her completely at his mercy with nothing more than a kiss.

The thing that scared her about that however was not his power over her; it was her lack of CARE about the power he had over her. She wanted to hate it, wanted to be able to ignore it as completely as he owned her thoughts at the moment, but she couldn't. She wanted to forget it ever happened, for it to have never happened, but it did and god help her she wanted it to happen again… and again. The man was an asshole, there was no two ways about, but dear lord, the things just his simple presence did to her was undeniable and it left her feeling both confused and slightly horny.

She was not inexperienced, but she was. Perhaps a better word to use was she was not naive. She had never had sex or anything like that and the only person she ever kissed refused to actually KISS her. There was never any heat to it, never any feeling behind it. Edward said he loved her, but he wouldn't even shove his tongue down her throat, grab her ass, cop a feel, nothing. She had always felt like a pervert for even thinking about dirty things that involved him because he was all like, 'No, we're not married'. Or 'Ewe, girls have cooties' blah blah blah.

Stefan on the other hand was not kidding when he told her he owned her ass, he did and even though she still didn't like it, she couldn't deny it. She was drawn to him from the very first time she laid eyes on him in Italy and every time she has even been close to him since then, she couldn't help but feel slightly at peace and completely safe in the knowledge that he was not going to hurt her nor would he allow anyone else to. What she didn't know though was if it was because he actually cared about her or if it was out of his fucked up sense of ownership over her. He told her from the beginning that she was his and she was nearly convinced that that was the only reason that he even gave a shit about her health and well-being.

Something else she was curious about was just what the hell he had in mind for her. He had told her that he had plans for her, but never once said a damn thing about what that was, at least not to her and she thought that out of anyone, she had the most right to know but doubted he felt the same. He didn't really strike her as one to just come out and say something choosing instead to play games and force you to use the brain god gave you and think for yourself. The problem with that though was she COULDN'T think with him around. Her brain melted to goo at the first trace of his scent so she was going to need a little more help on that front. She knew enough Romanian to know what all the pet names he called her meant and none of them were mean or cruel, they were actually kinda sweet but that didn't really mean anything either with the asshat because of the TONE he used when he said them.

Figuring that she had stalled in the shower as long as she could, she shut off the water that had long since run cold, not that it mattered anymore, and got out. Finding both a towel and robe on the vanity she glanced out of the crack in the slightly open door and saw the man that both terrorized and excited her pacing around the room on a cell phone looking far angrier than she wanted to deal with. Deciding that a little more stalling was in order, she dried off before putting the robe on then sat on the counter to work on drying her hair that she noticed was both longer and thinker, the subtle red and caramel highlights more like red and blonde streaks in darker mocha colored hair thanks to the asshat.

Wondering what else was different about her, she looked over her shoulder at the mirror, half surprised to see a reflection at all considering the legends say that vampires don't have one. The most startling thing was the bright ruby red orbs looking back at her after having chocolate brown ones for so long. Her cheekbones were more pronounced but her cheeks themselves were not sunken in. Her eyebrows were thinner and perfectly arched over her red eyes. Her lips looked fuller and were a dark red like she was wearing lipstick even though she wasn't. There was a smoky eye effect around her eyes that was burnt into her skin. Shrugging it off since she didn't like doing her makeup anyways, she hopped off the counter and opened her robe to get a look at her now flat and toned stomach. Her boobs were at least a cup size bigger and she was alright with that. She guessed she grew about four inches putting her at 5'7, still short as hell compared to Stefan and his 6'3 frame but over all, she couldn't complain too much. She was fucking hot.

Turning to the door when she heard a growl, she wondered a moment if it was for her but disregarded the thought when he kept barking into the phone. Turning back to the mirror, she gave herself one more glance over and figuring that she had now run out of things to do to stay right where she was, she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders knowing that she was about to hate herself.

Cracking the door a little more, she poked her head out and watched Stefan continue to pace the floor. She was positive that if there was blood in his veins, his face would be as red as his eyes. The man was pissed and the guy on the phone either didn't know it or didn't care. But then again, why would he? He was probably nowhere near there and perfectly safe from Stefan's wrath. She however was not and the emotions in his eyes told her that he might not give a fuck who he took his temper out on just as long as he let it out. She was just about to beat a strategic retreat back into the bathroom when he looked her way and locked his black eyes on her. He raised a brow at her and was about to say something to her, she was sure of it, but whoever was on the phone said something drawing his attention away from her and back to the conversation. All but sagging in relief when he turned away from her and started to speak in rapid fire Romanian too quickly for her to keep up, she slipped into the room and over to a standing wardrobe he said was hers.

Opening the door, her jaw dropped at the sight of the beautiful clothing that lay within. There were all different kinds of things for her ranging from ball gowns to sweats and everything in between. Biting her thumbnail, she looked over everything but didn't actually pick anything out. Stefan had told her she needed to be presentable for something but not what so she didn't have a fucking clue what she was supposed to wear.

Back shooting ramrod straight when she felt him come up behind her, she tilted her head back and looked up at him with wide eyes. He had the phone between his ear and shoulder to hold it in place as he reached over her head and grabbed a pair of black slacks and a black and white long bell sleeved corset top. Handing it to her with a wink, he turned back to his call looking far less pissed and a little more approachable. Nodding and holding the selection to her chest, she was about to go back to the bathroom to change when a changing screen caught her eye. Glancing once more at Stefan, she shrugged and went behind it to change.

Once she was dressed, she looked at the finished product in the standing mirror that was back there. Turning to the side to get a good look, she thought she looked fantastic. The only complaint she had was the bust of the shirt was a little tight but it wasn't too bad. The pants made her butt look perfect so with a nod to herself, she exited the area and waited for Stefan to look her way. When he did she held her arms out to the side as to say 'how's this?'

Tilting his head to the side, he lifted his hand and spun a finger at her. Rolling her eyes, she gave him a spin so he could see from all sides and decide if it was alright. Once she was facing him again, he nodded and pointed her to the vanity that was not there a moment ago that had brushes and combs and all sorts of hair shit on it as well as a jewelry box. Sitting in the chair, Bella finished drying her hair and was about to put her hair in a ponytail when Stefan came up behind her again and picked up a barrette with a butterfly on it and slid it loosely into her hair above her ear. Blinking at him in the mirror, she would have blushed at the look he was giving her if was still able to.

Tilting his head to the side, Stefan studied his mate in the mirror trying to decide what was missing from the vision. Clicking his tongue, he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a long case and handed it to her.

Taking the case, she looked up at him with a small smile and confused eyes. Keeping her voice down since he was still on the phone, "What's this?"

Moving the phone from his ear, he answered, "You're just going to have to open it to find out." Putting the phone back to his ear, "Yes, I'm still here." He nodded to the case and waited for her to open it. The shock that shot through her scent brought a smile to his lips.

Eyes wider than they have ever been, Bella looked at the choker that lay in the black satin. It was beautiful. It didn't have a chain per say, it was more like two pieces of onyx glass with white gold swirled throughout the black jewel. But the star of the piece was the gothic style white gold cross that hung from it. The irony of the cross was not lost on her but that didn't make it any less beautiful.

When she went to pick it up, Stefan took it back and explained when the hurt entered her eyes, "Perhaps you should let me dragă inimă, unless you want to break it." Waiting until she was turned back around and her hair was moved out of the way, he clasped the choker around her neck. Setting his hands on her shoulders, he bent his head down and pressed a kiss to the bite mark that was still uncovered and looked into her eyes thought the mirror, "Absolutely stunning my dear. Perfect as I knew you would be."

As his scent once again invaded her senses, she damn near giggled but was just able to swallow it back down. Breaking eye contact and looking down, she could feel her face heat up but when she looked at her reflection she only saw pale alabaster skin on her face. She lifted her hand to the choker but didn't touch it. The cross fell just below her clavicle and the bottom tip stopped just short of the top of her shirt. It was the perfect piece to finish off her look and with the eternal makeup on her eyes and lips, she felt she was done.

Stefan disagreed however and turned to the jewelry box on the table top. Lifting the lid, he pulled out a tray and set it down and gave her a moment to look over all the earrings that were there for her. She chose a set of white gold hoops and once they were in and one more glance over and nod by Stefan, he turned back to his call. From what she could gather he was getting off in a moment but she was still caught up on the choker he gave her.

She was never one to accept something like this, not wanting to be in someone's debt should something untold happen to it, but this was different. She didn't know why but it FELT different. When Edward tried to give her stuff like this she always felt like a trophy girlfriend, or sometimes just cheap because of the way or reason he was giving it to her, but with Stefan, it was just different. She knew he was giving it to her because he wanted her to have it, not so she would fit in better with his family. Not that he had a whole lot besides Vladimir, but she still doubted very much that he cared if she wore fine jewelry or not. It was nice; different but nice.

She was brought out of her musings by what sounded like little mice feet scurrying about in the room. Turning to look just to make sure there was not in fact mice scurrying around, her face twisted up to show her confusion. Stefan, who just hung up his phone and turned to speak to her paused at the look on her face. "Something troubling you Isabella?"

She held up a finger and tilted her head to the side and licked her lips, "What is that?"

Listening to the silence of the room, he looked at her, "What is what darling?"

Standing and following the noise, "It sounds like mice or something."

Stefan crossed his arms and listened a little harder, "I do not know what you are hearing my dear but I assure you there are no mice in my palace, gross little fuckers."

Bella was out on the balcony at that point and looking around. Turning back to Stefan, she pointed to the south west, "It sounds like it is coming from there."

Coming up to stand beside her, the wind blew at just the right moment to bring the scents of a group of unfamiliar vampires with it. "Hmm, what is this?" Crouching slightly, Stefan leapt up onto the tower to get a better look at the direction that his mate pointed to only to find she could apparently hear things that were out of his sight range. Looking down at her he chuckled, "You are going to be wonderful asset in the future Pereche." Jumping down next to her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to his chest. He crooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet his. "Don't worry too much about it right now. Whoever it is cannot cause any issues here. Even a vampire has issues climbing the mountain. Plus, since I cannot see them yet they are more than likely not even coming here. If they do there will be enough warning to prepare for them if they intend to cause discord."

Her eyes told him that she didn't fully believe him but her clenched jaw also said she was not going to question him on it at the moment. Deciding to further put her at ease, he sighed, "Alright darling, if it will make you feel better, I will have Radu send out a scouting party to see who or what it is you hear. Will that do?" Instantly relaxing at the suggestion, Bella nodded and gave him a bright smile. Smiling back at her, "Alright. Shall we go then? While you were cleaning up we had a few guests arrive that I have yet to greet. I will speak with Radu on the way."

Nodding again, her voice told of her embarrassment to how she reacted to the coming noise that was, to her, getting louder. "Thank you."

Giving a slight shrug, Stefan took a step back and offered her his arm again, "Think nothing of it my dear. So long as you are happy and feel safe that is all that matters."

Pausing at the comment, she pulled Stefan to a stop with her and looked up at him through her lashes, "You mean you actually care about that?"

Clearly surprised at the question, Stefan was brought up short on how to respond for a moment. Turning to face her fully, "Of course I do. Did you not know that?"

Biting the corner of her bottom lip, she shrugged, "I wasn't sure. I mean, you run hot and cold so much that it is a little hard to follow your thoughts about me. One minute you're this sweet guy that I feel safe around and the next you're this asshole that I don't understand and then you…"

Whatever she was going to say next will forever be lost to land of 'so the fuck what' because she was cut off once again by his lips pressing to hers. This was nothing like the kiss from earlier, but it was no less mind blowing. He made no move to deepen it this time, but he didn't have to. Once again her brain was goo and her body was only still upright because he held her.

When he pulled back this time, he still held her like the most precious thing in the world. "Hmm, perhaps I could have been a little clearer for you. Allow me to clear up any misunderstanding you might still have. You are to be my mate and when we have the time, I will make you so. I will not ever describe myself as nice, because I am not. I am a sarcastic asshole and I will be the first to admit such things. Vladimir will simply call me an asshole but you, my întuneric zeita; will never have cause to fear anything that I might do. I am the master of games and I play them often, however, other than the little game of tag we played in the Romanian countryside, I didn't mean to play one with you. Most of the time I do tend to get carried away but I do not want you to fear to tell me to knock it off if I ever confuse you to the point that you do not know my intentions with you. The very first time we spoke I told you very clearly that you belonged to me but I doubt I explained what I meant by that."

Bella swallowed hard and shook her head, "You didn't."

Smirking, Stefan shrugged again, "I very rarely do. I am Lord that answers to no one so explaining myself is hardly necessary. I will give you this however, if I confuse you in anyway, do not hesitate to ask me anything. Simply put, you belong to me. There is no way to misinterpret that. You are mine, my mate, my future Lady, whatever title you wish to hold really all means the same thing in the end."

Licking her lips again, Bella took a deep breath and nodded, "alright, I get that part, but what I don't get is why. There has to be a million better people out there for you take as your mate."

Clicking his tongue again, he sighed, "I have been around a long time Young Lady and I can attest to the fact there is not. You are simply going to have to trust me on that."

Pulling her arm from his, she wrapped her arms around herself, "And if you find out there is? What then?"

Stefan actually laughed at that. "Are you truly concerned that my attention could possibly be taken away from you?"

She shook her head, "No, I am worry about what will happen to me if it does."

Still chuckling, Stefan shook his head, "it won't happen my dear."

Looking through her lashes at him, "But if it does?"

Crossing his own arms, "If it does it wouldn't be for long and by that, I mean seconds. Listen, you're new at this so allow me to explain this to you. To a vampire, a mate is everything. There are huge leaps and bounds between a companion and a mate. We can be with the same partner for decades, centuries even without actually taking the steps to become mated but a mated vampire, my adorable little kitten, cannot, ever, under any circumstances step out of a mating. It will cause the one that steps out agonizing pain to do so. The only way to free a mated vampire is by the death of one or the other."

Tilting her heads to the side, "Have you been mated before?"

Shaking his head in the negative, "I have not, no. However, I have met vampires that were and cheated on their mates. The way they describe the pain was something that I cannot say is worth the few moments of pleasure you MIGHT get before it catches up with you. All this is irrelevant however. If I thought for a moment that at any point that I would want someone else you would dead dead right now and not living dead so put this whole sordid bullshit out of your beautiful head hmm. It will not happen so do not worry about the 'what if' because there is none. You are who I want to spend my eternity with, not some make believe female that will probably drive me crazier than you do."

Snickering at that last comment, Bella retook his once again offered arm and allowed him to pull her along the halls in search of Radu so he could put together the promised scouting party.

*X*

After seeing to the scouting party he promised his mate he was going to send out for her, he took her to the throne room so he could greet his guests. However, knowing a newborn's instinct to attack pretty much anyone, as his little kitten proved when he found Radu, he felt it best to warn her about what they were walking into in hopes to nip it before she did only what came natural to her. This was her first day awake and her vampiric instincts will rule her actions until she gets older. The simple fact she was able to be restrained at all before she removed Radu's head was nothing short of amazing. It was only because he had been around newborns many times over his life that he was able to do so. He was under no disillusion of her being anything other than your typical hot headed and instinct driven newborn. So far, that was exactly what she was which is what made her easy to deal with. If she was even a little abnormal, this would be extremely difficult.

Pulling her to a stop at the end of the hall he looked down at her and saw the snarl already forming on her lips at the sound of voices. This told him that this was going to end as she wanted no matter what he said to her right then. Still, he had known this coven for decades and felt he should at least attempt to keep them from harm. He wouldn't get in her way if she chose to attack because she would simply see it as defending her home. Not everything that he wrote on that card was bullshit. Most of it, but not all.

Sliding between her and the doors she was glaring at, he cleared his throat to catch her attention. When she glanced up at him, he smiled at her. "How are you feeling right now dragă inimă?"

She blinked at him, "What do you mean?"

Smile growing, "You're growling my dear. But I was more so referring to your thirst and senses. How are you?"

Blinking at the information she was growling, she gave herself a mental once over for the answer to the question at hand. "The only complaint is my ears are ringing a little due to the volume of voices." The last part was a little louder than really necessary, but she was rewarded by them shutting the fuck up.

Chuckling at the situation, Stefan nodded. "The room is designed for sound to carry since it was used for large audiences back when I was alive so it could get loud in there. There are also seven vampires currently in there, not including Vladimir, so the number of scents might also cause you some discomfort. I had the staff light torches opposed to using the overhead lights so that should hopefully be a softer light for your over sensitive eyes." When she nodded her understanding, he then took her chin in his fingers and made sure she was looking in his eyes for the next part, "I have known the leader of this coven for a very long time so I would ask you try not to attack. Anyone that actually lives here is one thing, but these are guests and that could be considered bad manners to do so."

Looking back to the door a moment, she looked back in his eyes and nodded bringing a smile to Stefan's face. "Perfect. You do not have to stay long, I know you must be getting hungry, but I would like to at least introduce you to them before I take you to feed."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she dropped her voice to under a whisper so only Stefan could hear her, "I make no promises."

He chuckled, "I am not asking that of you dearest, I am simply asking you to try. However, you can hardly be blamed for following your instincts considering we are ruled by them."

Nodding at that, she once again took his arm and held it tightly with her other hand as they approached the door.

Glancing down at her a moment to make sure she was alright so far, Stefan pushed open the doors and led her inside where the visiting coven was waiting looking at the door, their interest at who the female they heard was.

The moment Bella's eyes locked on copper colored hair, she snarled and shouted, "You have GOT to be fucking kidding me!"

The uproar was instantaneous. Everyone was silent one moment and all but yelling the next, however the growling from the newborn was the loudest thing in the room. Her eyes never strayed from the copper haired asshole that LIED to her.

It wasn't until one of the Cullen's broke rank and ran towards Bella that Stefan stepped in. Shoving Bella behind him, he snarled so loud that the walls shook from the pitch. Crouched and poised to strike, he barred his teeth and snapped them with an audible snap stilling the feet of the tiny vampire that was staring at him with wide eyes and fear leaking from her every pore.

The leader called out to her to very slowly back away and not to turn her back to him. Doing as she was told, she moved at a snail's pace until she was standing behind him. Looking up at Carlisle, she whimpered, "I just wanted to give her a hug, I didn't mean any harm."

Growling at the voice, Stefan, still couched down, "I don't give a fuck. You do not approach my mate in such a manner again if you like living." Standing but keeping Bella behind him to deter anyone from trying such foolishness again, he glared at the pixy before turning his attention to the coven leader that apparently doesn't like to teach HIS vampires proper etiquette while in another's home. "Am I to now assume you are already acquainted?" Looking over his shoulder when his mate snorted, he inquired, "Isabella?"

Looking out from around his shoulder, she once again glared hard at Edward, "You could say that, yeah. That copper haired faggot is my ex-boyfriend, though it seems he neglected to mention something when we were together."

Looking at the one she pointed out, out of the corner of his eye, "That a fact?"

Huffing at the attitude he was getting, Edward sneered at her, "A lady shouldn't talk like that, Isabella."

Snarling, she made to lunge, but Stefan grabbed her around the waist and held her right where she was. When she was positive she wasn't getting free, she snapped her teeth at Edward, "I swear to god Fuckward I will kill you if given half a chance."

Carlisle looked around for Jasper and sighed when he saw him leaning on the wall a few feet away. "Jasper, please, if you don't mind."

Raising his hands and shaking his head, "Not getting involved, Carlisle. Personally, I hope she does kill him. I really don't like the bastard. Plus, it's not like he wouldn't deserve it."

Growling softly at the comment, he turned to Stefan and Bella to see her once again attempting to free herself from his hold. Clearing his throat to gain the attention of the Romanian Lord, "Perhaps she should eat. That might get her to calm down enough to be around other vampires."

A glare that could freeze fire settled on Stefan's face as he looked at the Cullen elder, "Excuse the fuck out of me?"

Holding his hands up and backtracking slightly, Carlisle tried again, "I was simply saying that it might calm her down a little so she will stop trying to get free to do harm to a member of my family."

Eyes darkening to match his face and voice, he growled at the other vampire but it was Vladimir that spoke. "Surely Carlisle, you are not thinking to tell Dracula himself how to raise his newborn mate in his own home because that would be a fatal mistake as you are well aware." When every eye was on him, he stood from his throne and, clasping his hands behind his back, strolled forward. "The young one is but hours old, woke this very night so, personally, I think she is doing quite well in keeping her temper in check if all she is doing is hurling threats; and what harm can that really do? Besides, it was one of yours that set Stefan off and apparently also one yours that pissed her off. Are you seeing the same pattern I am?"

Visibly bristling at the insinuation, Carlisle shook his head, "You are only looking at the surface. There is much to the situation you don't know."

Raising a brow, "Oh? What is it then about your eldest that she despises so?"

Bella took that one. "He is a self-serving ass clown that doesn't give two flying fucks about anyone but himself and what he thinks and wants."

There was a snort that drew the eyes of everyone to the vampire that was still leaning against the wall. Jasper looked up at the feeling of being watched and shrugged, "What? It was funny."

Bella giggled a little drawing the attention of Stefan back to her. "Dragă inimă, you know him as well?"

She nodded and smiled a little, "Of course. That's Jasper. I didn't know he was a vampire, though that seems to be a recurring theme with these people."

Cocking a brow, "You know them all?"

Again, she nodded. "Why are you surprised by that? If you know one of them, you know them all." Pointing to each in turn "That's Esme, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Fuckward, and Carlisle and again, we're back to Jasper. I will however admit that it would appear that I don't really know any one of them outside of their name so don't ask for details."

Pursing his lips, "Huh, fancy that." Looking to the empath that his mate didn't seem to want dead, "Major, wonderful to see you again."

Bowing his head, "The honor is mine Lord Stefan. Congratulations on your recent mating as well."

Nodding in lieu of speaking, he turned back to his mate, "Are you alright now or would you prefer to leave?"

Glaring hard at Edward again, "Keep him silent and the fuck away from me and I should be alright for a little bit."

Tilting his head to the side slightly, "Are you sure? It is getting close to time for you to feed. Radu should have returned with your meal by now as well."

She rubbed her throat and cleared it to try and alleviate the burn a bit but it was not easy, more like impossible. "Maybe I should eat. Kinda burns a lot."

He nodded not surprised by that in the slightest. As he was about to excuse them, Jasper spoke up, "I'll take her if she'll let me."

Every member of the Cullen coven whipped around to look at him, but Stefan was still looking at Bella. Carlisle's jaw dropped slightly and he shook his head, "Absolutely not."

Stefan snorted but otherwise ignored them and spoke with his mate, "It's up to you dragă inimă. I am sure the Major will keep an eye on you if you prefer."

Eyes darting back and forth between the two, she didn't know how to answer that. She didn't mind Jasper. As a matter of fact he was the only one of them she didn't. But she knew what she looked like after her meal earlier and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted someone other than Stefan to see her like that. Finally she shrugged, "It doesn't matter to me." Looking at Jasper, "But I warn you, I'm kinda messy."

Jasper snorted, "all newborns are messy Darlin'. It is a fact a nature that they will literally make the biggest mess they are capable of making. I have raised enough in my life for no one to ever get me to believe otherwise."

Carlisle once again shook his head, "Jasper, you can't. You know that they don't feed like we do."

Glaring out of the corner of his eye, "I am aware of that, thanks. But I so appreciate the confidence you have at my self-control. Really, thanks Dad."

Stuttering at the tone and comment, "That is not what I meant, son. It is just…"

Shaking his head and pushing himself off the wall, Jasper moved slowly towards Bella, "Save it dick, I know what you meant. Come back with red eyes and I'm gone. So the fuck what." When he reached Stefan and Bella, he looked to Stefan first, "Anything I need to know?"

Glancing at Bella, who was also looking up at him waiting, "hmm, she is extremely sense sensitive. Her ears seem to be the worst but if there are too many conflicting scents, she will become slightly disoriented as well. It toned down earlier after she fed so it should calm after this go around as well. Other than that she seems to be a normal newborn, something I know you can handle just fine." Voice darkening no small degree, "Just know, anything happens to her and I will not hesitate to kill you."

Extending his arm for Bella to take, he nodded, "I will care for her like she was my own until I return her to your side."

Glaring even still, "See that you do." Turning to Bella, "enjoy my dear and I will see you shortly."

Giving him a small smile, she took Jasper's arm and turned away. As they were leaving, she turned to Jasper, "Jesus was Carlisle always such an asshole or is this a new development?"

Knowing perfectly well that he could still hear him, Jasper shrugged as they crossed into the hall, "Let me put it this way Bella. You met Aro right? I would prefer his company."

Looking both scared and appalled, she patted his arm lightly. "I am so sorry."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Hanging out in the rafters watching Bella rip apart her dinner, Jasper shook his head. Once again his point was proven about how newborns will always make the biggest mess that they are capable. Once the screaming quieted down, he looked over at the dripping vampire and snorted. Not raising his voice at all, he called down to her, "Missed one Darlin'."

Using the soaked sleeve to the shirt she was wearing to try and whip her mouth, she looked up at him. "I'm stuffed. You want it?"

He nodded, "Yes, but maybe next time, Sugar. I doubt that Carlisle would like it overly much."

Crossing her arms, she tossed her dripping wet hair over her shoulder, "Why do you let everyone tell you what to do all the time?"

Raising a brow at her, he inquired, "What makes you say that?"

She shrugged, "I might not have spoken with you much before, but I have always had eyes and ears. I say that because I have both seen and heard you back down or just, I don't know, never argue about the stupid shit you are forced to do."

Placing his chin in his palm, "and what, exactly, are you referring to?"

Giving him a flat look, "So you like looking like Ken then? Come on, even an infant can tell that you are not now, or have ever been, a preppy asshole that wears slacks and sweater vests every day of your life. So again I ask, why do let them tell you what to do? Surely you have a brain of your own and can make up your own mind. If not, then I feel sorry for you for more than just preferring the company of Aro over your family."

Jasper smirked, "or maybe, I just prefer to keep the peace and not rock the boat when it is not needed."

Cocking a brow, "do you? You actually strike me as the prick that does THAT every chance he gets." Tilting her head to the side, voice taking on a thoughtful tone, "Do you want to know what I think?"

Fighting a smile, Jasper shrugged, "Sure, why not. What do you think Little Lady?"

"I think you should eat what you want and not give a fuck. If Carlisle doesn't like it, that's his problem, not yours."

Jasper cocked his head to the side, "That, little one is where you're wrong. A place in the Cullen coven is loaded with conditions. The biggest is, of course, not eating humans."

Her confusion was almost a separate entity from her it was so strong. "Then what the fuck do you eat?"

Gagging at just the thought of it, he grimaced, "animals."

She blinked at him, "animals? You eat animals?" Biting her lip, she inquired, "and how are they?"

Swallowing the vamp equivalent of bile, he shook his head, "don't ask."

She snorted and smirked at him, "if they are that bad, then why in god's name would you willingly eat them? It's clear you don't like it in the least. Seriously, if you want to eat a pussy, there HAS to be a willing lady somewhere in the big ol' world that would let you."

Nearly falling off the rafter he was on, Jasper barked out a laugh, "Listen to you. And you claim to be a lady."

She shrugged and smirked, "No I didn't. You're with Alice so you have to know that tits don't make a lady."

Choking on his breath, he just looked at her, "Wow. That was low Darlin'."

Again, Bella just shrugged, "truth hurts sometimes Jasper so you can't get pissy over it. Anyways, all I'm saying is sometimes you have to think about yourself and what is best for you. Clearly there is a problem if you need that pointed out to you. I mean Christ, buy a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and go rogue just once. I bet you'll like it."

"I know I would, but then I would have to listen to Alice bitch and moan until she burns them then I will have to listen to her bitch about that. In the end, not worth it."

Pursing her lips, Bella nodded, "I'll give you that. The bitch is certainly good at complaining about clothes. Here's a thought, walk away. You can't listen to what you're not there to hear. Or better yet, tell her to shut the fuck up. You're a big boy now, Jasper. I bet you can even whip your own ass if you tried. Back to the point though, you still have not told me a good enough reason to just sit back and take the shots and allow someone to tell you what to do all the damn time."

As Jasper was about to say something, the noise that she heard earlier started again only this time it was more like a stampede. Drawing her brow down, she looked over her shoulder to the door to the barn she was still in. As Jasper's voice rang in her ears, she waved a hand to tell him to be quiet a moment.

Jasper, knowing from her emotions that something was not right with this; he hopped from the rafters and landed beside her. Lowering his voice, "What is it Bella?"

Waving at him again, and almost popping him on the nose, she slowly walked to the door, "How the hell do you not hear that?"

Going after her, "what's it sound like?"

She shook her head, "I don't know. Earlier is sounded like an army of mice but now it's so much louder. Seriously, how can you NOT hear it? It sounds like a herd of fucking elephants tap dancing."

Extending his gift out, Jasper grabbed Bella's arm and yanked her behind him before she left the barn. Yelping at the sudden movement, she glared at the back of his head and stage whispered, "What the fuck Jasper?"

Holding his own hand up to silence her, he focused on the emotions he was sensing. His gift had grown a bit over the course of his life so he was able to feel the emotions of someone even if he couldn't see or hear the person they were attached to. Sorting out what he was feeling and separating them from his personal emotions and blocking out Bella, he was able to pinpoint five approaching bodies. Growling low in his chest, he pushed Bella farther into the barn and away from the door. Looking at the door, he spoke to Bella, "There is a basin of water on the other side of the building. Use it to get as much blood off you as you can as quickly as you can."

Blinking at him and swallowing hard, "What's going on Jasper? What is it?"

Crouching down and baring his teeth out of pure instinct, "Company."

Gulping, she backed away from him and towards the tub of water, "Should we call for Stefan and Vladimir?"

Growling louder as he could now hear the footfalls, "no point. Just clean up and kill that last bitch while you're at it. No use feeding the fuckers." Finally looking over his shoulder when he heard Bella whimper, he softened his voice. "Listen, I told Stefan I would protect you and I will, but you have to listen to what I say, starting with cleaning the gallons of human blood off your skin BEFORE they get within scenting distance."

All but diving in the basin, Bella scrubbed at her scalp to clear her still blood soaked and dripping hair before splashing the crimson water on her face and neck, then turning her attention to her arms. Once she was sure she got as much off her skin and hair as she could, she looked at the once white shirt and whined in her throat. Looking over her shoulder at the low crouched and still growling Jasper, "What about my clothes?"

Jasper shook his head, "Not a lot to do about that Darlin' but you need to calm down. Your emotions are fucking with me. Kinda making me twitch."

Reeling back at that, "Huh?"

Looking at her out of the corner of his eye, "Right, you don't know. I'm empathic. I can feel your emotions and right now, you being high strung is making me twitch. Calm down or I will make you."

Before she could say anything, Jasper snapped back to the door and snarled making Bella jump and yelp and the still living human scream. Bella's head whipped to the right and saw the stupid bitch hiding under a trailer, her hands covering her mouth. Cocking a brow at the sight, she darted over and pulled her out by her hair. Glaring at her, "Shut the fuck up you stupid bitch." Still holding her hair, Bella grabbed the woman's shoulder and jerked her body sharply enough to hear a snap before the woman went limp and silent. Bella smiled at that before she could stop herself, a quiet chuckle escaping her lips.

The chuckle however stopped short at the bang that had Bella dropping to her knees with a shriek and clawing at her ears from the blinding pain the noise caused. Eyes squeezed shut and ears ringing from the volume of the barn doors exploding, she didn't hear the roar that followed her scream.

Lifting her head and opening her eyes, she looked over to where Jasper was a moment ago to see him squaring off with a group of four others, but even though she could see his lips move; she couldn't hear anything that came out of his mouth over the white noise. She looked at Jasper and saw a spark in his eyes that was reminiscent of some of the looks she had seen over take Stefan's. It made her feel strangely safe to see, even if she couldn't currently hear.

It happened in flashes corresponding with the throbbing of her head, her vision not staying clear long enough to get the full picture. Jasper leapt at one of them, taking him out just in time to twist out of the grip of another. A well placed kick removed the head of the second and an elbow sent the third flying somewhere off to the side.

The walls shook with the vibrations of slamming bodies, the foundation lifting and rolling when someone hit the ground, all the while Jasper stayed standing, never stopping long enough for any of the others to get their hands on him. It was amazing to watch if not a little frightening. Jasper's movements were as fluid as water, bending under and leaping over arms and legs. His teeth slid through flesh like a hot knife through butter, sending body parts falling to the ground like a morbid rain.

Bella was fascinated by the sight.

She glanced to the hole in the side of the building to see another just standing there, not moving, not doing anything and wondered what he was all about. When Jasper dispatched the last of the ones attacking him, he turned his sights on the last and stood up from his crouch. Taking in Bella's emotions to make sure she was alright, he was momentarily stunned by the physical pain she was feeling but set it aside for a moment since there was little he could do about it at the moment.

Glaring at the fifth vampire that invaded the Romanian palace grounds, Jasper crossed his arms, "Well, what do you want?"

The man standing there looked at the vampire in front of him before turning his attention to the female that had not moved a muscle since the arrival of him and his coven. Looking back at Jasper, he took a deep breath before speaking, "You are not the one I am looking for."

Snorting, Jasper smirked at him, "Probably not, but I'm the one you found. I will not ask again, what do you want?"

Nodding to Bella, "the bitch's sire, where is he?"

Cocking a brow, Jasper shook his head, "I would really watch what you call the newborn. I won't stand for disrespect of a lady in my presence."

The man's face darkened, "Her sire killed my mate and I am here for retribution. Stand aside."

Jasper snorted, "I don't think so. The young one is currently under my protection. You want her, you go through me. Besides, if Stefan killed your bitch, she probably deserved it." Taking a sniff of the air and smelling spent male, Jasper cleared his throat, "Or he."

Lips pulling back from his teeth, the new male snarled, "If you do not move, I will be forced to move you."

Jasper didn't move a muscle. "Well then, come move me bitch. As I said, the only way to her is through me."

With another snarl, he man darted forward fully intending on doing just that when someone grabbed him by the hair on the back of his head and ripped him off his feet before throwing him into the wall. Pushing himself to his hands and knees, he saw Stefan standing there, arms loosely crossed over his chest, his right eyebrow cocked. Growling, the man snarled, "You."

Stefan looked at the intruder and sighed, "yes, me. Now, what can I do for you?"

Shoving the pile of debris off his back, he stood and crouched, "You killed my mate."

Stefan cocked his head to the side, "Did I?" Thinking back a few days, he did recall killing a vampire but he was positive that was a male. Shrugging it off as unimportant, "I will not contest that, I probably did. But, for the sake of argument, when did this occur?"

Eyes black as pitch, the male vampire growled, "a week ago."

Tapping a finger to his chin, "Interesting. A week ago I destroyed a male vampire that was hunting my human within the borders of my territory." Smirking so wide he teeth showed, gleeful amusement coloring his tone and eyes shining, "Was that your mate? That is marvelous. I wonder, are you the male or did I already kill him?"

Roaring at the comment, the man stomped his foot, "I'll fucking kill you!"

Stefan chuckled, his question being answered by that one action. "I am certain you'll try." Looking out of the corner of his eye at his mate that was still curled in a ball, he watched Jasper kneel in front of her and reach out and move her hands from her ears. He could see the pain in her eyes from her abused hearing. He would have to find out why she had such sensitive senses and figure out how to fix it. Once Jasper took it upon himself to rub her ears, he turned his attention back to the pissed off vampire that was about to launch himself at him like an untrained newborn.

He was not disappointed.

Still chuckling, he sidestepped the spitting mad male and, not wasting any time, removed his head from his shoulders. Watching the body slam into the wall, he looked at the head in his hands and cocked a brow, "Well, that was pathetically easy. Your mate was much more entertaining." Laughing outright when the decapitated vampire tried to bite him, he tossed the head over his shoulder and listened to it bounce around like a ball as he went to his mate.

Kneeling down next to Jasper, he tilted his head to the side, "can you hear me, dragă inimă?"

Bella moved her eyes to Stefan, but just blinked. She could see his mouth move, but all she was still hearing was white noise. She pulled away from Jasper and rubbed her temples and closed her eyes before shaking her head. Grunting, she used her pinky to rub the inside of her ear to try and clear it, but it didn't help anything. Looking at Stefan again, her eyes pleaded with him to make the pain and ringing stop. Whimpering, she pressed her forehead to his chest and shook her head.

Placing one hand on the back of her head and rubbing her back with the other, he turned to Jasper and lowered his voice. "Have you ever come across a newborn with such sensitive hearing?"

Jasper shook his head, "Nope. Did you know she heard them even before I felt them?"

Stefan nodded, "She heard them long before then Major." Suddenly something occurred to him, "Damn it. I had Radu send a scouting party to find this group of idiots and as far I know, they have not yet returned." Shaking his head, he moved to pick up Bella and take her back inside. "Well, you know what they say about good help these days. Morons, the lot of them."

Standing with him, Jasper looked around the busted up barn, "Would you like me to clean this up while you tend to her?"

Giving the barn a once over, Stefan nodded, "If you would be so kind. Just burn it all. There are plenty of other places for Isabella to feed on the grounds.

*X*

Stefan took Bella to their chamber, ignoring everyone they passed; far more concerned with the fact that she currently couldn't hear anything. His biggest concern with that was permanent damage to her hearing. He had never known a vampire to have such sensitive hearing so he didn't know if she was now deaf, if this occurrence would make her hearing even more sensitive or if this would subside over time and go back to normal. Her normal hearing was already extremely heightened and he wasn't sure if it got more so if it wouldn't drive her insane. Vampires could already hear a heartbeat over a mile away and she proved to be able to hear a vampire walk far further than that. If her hearing got worse, a wolf howling on the mountain could blow her eardrums. Sighing, he figured that he would cross all bridges when he got to them and just deal with the situation at hand, figuring out how to stop the pain she was currently in.

Placing her on her feet once they were in their chambers, he glanced out the window when he heard the maniacal laughter before the skyline turned orange from the fire the major was setting. Snorting at the young vampire, he turned his attention to his mate. She was still soaked and still covered in blood so the first order of business was getting her cleaned up and changed. Pointing to the wardrobe of her clothing, he went into the bathroom to run her a bath. When the tub was full, he turned off the water and went back into the main room. He found Bella right where he left her, dripping on the floor, her hands over her ears, eyes closed and whining in her throat.

Going over to the vanity, he pulled out a message pad and pen. Writing a quick note, he went to his mate and lifted her head by her chin to catch her attention. Handing over the pad when he had it, he frowned when she sniffled.

Taking the pad from him, she read what he wrote.

' _How bad does it hurt?'_

Lifting her eyes to his, she whimpered again. Truth be told, she didn't think that the pain level was even a real number. She was positive that her ears were bleeding but when she looked at her hand, she was visibly surprised when there was no blood, well at least not hers, on her fingers. She had never in her life felt something like this and she could have gone the rest never having felt it. The ringing in her ears sounded like an air horn and rattled her brain straight down to her toes. There was not a part of her that didn't hurt currently but she didn't know how to tell him that. So, once again she just leaned into his chest, only this time, she started to cry without tears, dropping the paper and recovering her ears.

Pressing his lips to her forehead, he picked her up again and carried her into the bathroom. Sitting her on the counter, he let her cry on his chest as he reached down to remove her shoes. Once that was done, he just used a nail to cut the back of her shirt and down the sides of her pant legs before picking her up again and, in his clothes and all, got in the tub himself and situated her on his lap.

Jumping slightly at the feel of the water, Bella didn't even try to move from her position as the ringing grew in volume and changed pitch. Quietly crying out at the growing pain, she pushed her face harder to Stefan's chest and fisted his shirt tightly in her hands, ripping the fabric as a result.

Stopping the growl that wanted to rumble his chest in response to his mate's discomfort not knowing if it would actually hurt her or not, he grabbed a rag and wiped the remaining blood from her skin and hair. It didn't take long since she had gotten most of it on her own back in the barn, but there was enough left to stain the water red. When he was done, he didn't immediately get out of the water, choosing instead to simply hold Bella as she cried and attempt to think of a way to make her pain go away. The only thing that came to mind that might help was getting, then keeping, her drunk. That wouldn't be a problem to do either. There was enough booze in his room alone to keep her drunk for the next century.

Don't judge.

With a half ass plan in place, he shifted Bella slightly to get his arms back under her and stood up. Grabbing her robe, he wrapped her up before shedding his wet clothes and wrapped a towel around his hips. Turning back to Bella, he smirked at her as he watched her eyes roam up and down his chest. He was doing his damnedest not to let himself get carried away with her at the moment, but if she didn't knock it off with the bedroom eyes, that might not happen.

Cocking his head to the side, he said nothing as her face pinched up and her eyes closed again. He watched as she rubbed her ears and temple before looking at him again. She might like what she saw when looking at him, but he knew she was hurt so he just picked her back up and carried her back into their room. After setting her down on the bed, he first went to his closet to dress then to hers to get her something to wear. Not planning on leaving the room, he grabbed her some sweatpants and tank top then even turned his back so she could dress knowing perfectly well if he didn't, he was in trouble.

As she dressed, Bella swallowed the groan at the ringing in her ears. It seemed to just get worse with her every move and was half tempted to just stay naked so she didn't have to. Moving so slowly she was almost staying still; she got her top on and then sat back down to slip on her pants. Once she was done, she laid down and curled into a ball, her arms around her head and chin tucked to her chest with her eyes closed again. The room wasn't bright but the light it did have made her eyes burn and that made the ringing worse. She didn't understand why this was so bad but she did understand she didn't like it and was just about ready to dig out her eardrums to make it stop.

When she felt the bed dip, she shifted slightly and lifted her head to see Stefan holding out a glass of clear liquid for her to take. Sitting slowly, she took it and smelled the content, coughing at the burn it left in its wake. Giving him a confused look, she glanced at the paper that was in his hands.

' _Drink it. It might help.'_

Blinking at the note, she gave him a dubious look but did as she was told praying he was right. Her first reaction was to spit it out but she refrained, barely, and drank the whole glass in a few gulps. Handing the glass back, she laid back down and closed her eyes, the burn of the liquid working its way down her throat to her stomach making it turn and her gag.

Shaking his head at her, Stefan took a long drink right from the bottle. He really needed to keep in mind she was in high school and probably never had good alcohol if she ever had any at all. He wouldn't give her any more though until he knew that it was helping her, or she asked for it. It is possible for a vampire to get drunk as it is also possible for them to get extremely sick by drinking it if they ingest too much and their venom gets too diluted. It cannot kill them as it could a human, but, as he knew from experience, it was not pleasant and they certainly wished it could.

It was perhaps ten minutes later that Bella's ear started to stop ringing. Well, the ring was certainly still there, but the blinding pain lessened; sorta. Moving her arms, she looked at Stefan and raised a brow at him. She spoke to him, but didn't put any force behind the words at all making even the vampire strain to hear her, "What did you give me?"

Dropping his voice to the same volume she spoke with, "vodka. Did it help?"

Her shock clear, "A little yeah. It still really hurts and the ringing is still there, but I can hear you too now."

He nodded, figuring that was the case. He had learned a long time ago that there was little vodka couldn't fix and that was why he always kept it on hand, even when he was a human. Holding up the bottle, "Would you like some more, dragă inimă?" When Bella reached for the bottle, Stefan pulled it back and gave her a look, "Be careful Isabella. You can make yourself quite sick if you drink too much too quickly." Handing her the bottle, "If you think you're in pain now, you're not. Trust me on that."

Looking at him as she took the bottle, she tilted her head to the side and waited for him to continue, but he refused to explain that feeling it was perfectly self-explanatory. After she took a healthy drink and handed the bottle back, Stefan moved to settle against the headboard. Taking his own drink, he tilted his head to the side. "Do you know what it was that harmed your hearing in the first place? I heard your scream but wasn't present for the reason."

She rubbed her ears and shrugged, "You'll have to ask Jasper. I wasn't looking but it sounded like a fucking bomb exploding." Looking over at the open balcony doors, Bella squinted at the setting sun. "Would you mind if I closed the curtains? It's too bright."

Stefan shook his head and slid to the edge of the bed. "I'll do it, you stay put."

Bella watched his back muscles shift under his skin and bit her lip. He wasn't wearing a shirt and his pants rode LOW. It was a beautiful sight and one that did unexplainable things to her. She might have been in pain, but it was starting to subside more and the man was still fuckhot. Or she spoke to soon as another wave of sound permeated her brain and she covered her face with a groan. Whining in her throat, "When will it stop?"

Pulling the curtains closed, Stefan turned back to her and crossed his arms, sympathy shining in his eyes when he saw her once again curled into a ball. "I don't know if it ever will if I am to be honest. I have extensive experience with newborns, as well does the Major, and neither one of us have ever encountered a newborn that is so completely sensitive to sound as you are. Even your sight and scenting seems to be heightened to a substantial degree. Taste and touch seem to be the only normal level senses you have Isabella and I do not know why. The only thing that I can think of that MIGHT explain it is you are gifted in some way but vampire gifts take time to both show themselves and get under control, if they ever are."

Rubbing her eyes with a groan, she looked up at him again, "Vampire gifts?"

Stefan nodded as he made his way back to the bed. "It is actually quite a rare thing to happen but there are vampires out there that are born into this life with an extra ability that is not normal to the race."

Nodding, Bella tilted her head to the side, "Do you have one?"

He shook his head and smirked, "Not unless you count my undeniable lust for blood and death. However, since I had that as a human, I highly doubt you can."

Dropping her chin to her chest again, Bella groaned quietly. "So you think that I have one?"

He shrugged, "It is far too early to tell that my dear but it is possible."

Whimpering, "What kind of fucked up bastard would consider this kind of pain a gift?"

Sliding over to her, Stefan pulled her to sit on his lap and rubbed her temples. Sighing lightly, "I know you're in pain right now, but it will pass."

Turning to look at him, "How are you so sure about that?"

Stefan tilted his head to the side in contemplation on how to explain it in the simplest term. "A vampire's body regenerates over time if it is damaged in any way, other than regrowing body parts, and fixes the abnormality. However, though I can promise the pain will indeed pass, I have no way of knowing how long it will take to happen and I cannot promise the same about the ringing. It could suddenly vanish like a bad dream. It could last a few days then taper off. It could last for a long time. Or there is the possibility that never vanishes completely, simply diminishes to a more tolerable level."

She sniffled and whined in her throat, "So it might not ever stop?"

He shrugged, "there is no way to know, but yes, it might not ever go completely away. However, our bodies are far more adaptable than anyone gives them credit for. While our minds reject change and the like, our bodies do not. If the ringing does not go away, you will adapt to it and learn to either ignore it or use it."

Leaning heavily on his chest, Bella closed her eyes and sighed, "You sound so certain."

He chuckled low in his throat, "That would be because I am. As I said, I don't know when, but I promise you, the pain will pass. Until then, we will just have to keep you in a quiet atmosphere so your eardrums are given a rest and time to heal."

Snuggling a little closer and setting into a comfortable position, "What about your guests?"

Stefan snorted, "What about them? My guests have not a thing to do with you so worry not. You were presented and that is more than I am required to do within my own home. Put the Cullen coven out of your mind and simply relax. They hardly ever linger more than a few days anyways. Speaking of the Cullen's, I am quite proud of you Darling."

Lifting her eyes but not her head, "Why?"

He smiled at her, "For not attacking the twerp. That particular vampire gets on my last nerve on a regular bases. Tell me, what occurred between the two of you to make you hate him so?"

Bella closed her eyes again and shrugged, "He's an asshole. The whole reason we broke up was because he refused to listen to me and got all kinds of pissed off just because he didn't get his way. He even told me that it was my fault and that I wasn't good enough to associate with him or his family because I 'disregarded the feelings of his little sister' or something equally as retarded because I refused to break birthday plans with my parents to go to a party the bitch threw after I told her not to. I know it might sound stupid but it pissed me off. Then he said that if I didn't go to the party that Alice worked so hard putting together then I was not who he thought I was and wanted nothing more to do with me."

Just remembering the day her and Edward's relationship ended sent her venom boiling and vision tinting red. Glaring at the wall like it was to blame; she sat up slightly and looked at Stefan who was looking at her with a raised brow. "I mean for fucking real, how fucking stupid it that? Ending a relationship just because I didn't want to disappoint my parents to make his happy." Growling slightly and crossing her arms, "What a dick. Then after the end of us, he starts to pick at me calling me an ungrateful bitch. How the fuck am I ungrateful over that? I said no, many fucking times and the bitch did it anyways so how in the holy fuck is that my god damn fault? And you want to know something else? I blame HIM for the death of my friends."

Stefan blinked at her, startled slightly at the announcement. He was nearly positive that HE was to blame for that, but was curious as to how she came to the conclusion he was not. "Tell me what you mean by that Isabella because I am sure it was I that killed them."

Turning her black, angry eyes on him, she growled, "Yeah, how about not reminding me about that, hmm?" Rubbing at her ears slightly, she huffed, "Had it not been for him and his fucked up stance that I was to blame for our relationship ending and feeling it necessary to pick and snip at me every chance he got, I wouldn't have been in the class I was in. I wouldn't have been in Italy at the same time you were and that 'game' would ever have been played meaning that some of my friends would still be alive, I would still be alive, back home and not having to deal with this god forsaken ringing. It's all his fucking fault and he should be punished for it."

Stefan considered her words and had to admit that she made a valid point. He didn't know the details that put her in his sights, and truthfully, he didn't care. All that mattered to him was she was there and not going anywhere. To her however, with the events of her friend's deaths so close to her heart, he could perfectly understand her stance and agreed that, in a roundabout way, Edward Cullen could find the blame placed at his feet. Of the twenty-one Americans, he had only originally planned on killing four, perhaps five and leaving the rest to tell the tale. It wasn't until he saw her that that changed and he decided that he was going to do away with them all. It was also just as true that he didn't have to kill them all but that could have caused problems that he really didn't want to deal with. It worked out in the end in his opinion. He had his mate with him and that was the important part. Everything else was a moot point.

Even still, his mate was unhappy and he didn't like it. Though he much preferred the scent of her anger over that of her self-pity, he was not a fan of the underlying sadness, even if he understood it. Running his fingers through her hair to attempt to calm her back down, he spoke in a soothing voice, "dragă inimă, settle yourself. Everything will work out as it was meant to, it always does."

She snorted, "Don't tell me you believe in karma, domnule Ce Mare."

He nodded, "Why are you surprised by that? I have seen it work with my own eyes my dear and can attest to the fact that everyone gets what they deserve at some point."

She giggled and looked up at him, "Then you my friend, are so fucked."

He smirked, "Perhaps, but after being relieved of my head and staying that way for years on end, I do believe me and dreaded fates are square for the time being. If you want proof of that, simply look no further than a mirror and you shall have it."

She blinked at him, "So the man from the road…"

He nodded, "Yes, the details of that day are true; however I was already bitten and turned by then. For future knowledge, the only way to truly and fully kill a vampire is to burn it to ash. You can be dismembered into tiny little pieces and scattered across the world and left that way for centuries and still not only be alive to be reassembled at a later time you are fully aware of whatever is going on around your head. You can even set it on fire, but if the flame goes out before ashing, the vampire will live on, only in extreme pain. It goes back to our bodies being extremely adaptable."

She nodded with wide eyes, "I would certainly say so. So because the guy only buried your body and didn't burn it, you were able to be put back together?"

He nodded with a smile on his face, "Exactly. It was no picnic and I was beyond starved by the time I was reunited with my head, but even as feral as I was, I was back to normal with the annihilation of three cities, or what is normal for me. I will be the first to admit that I am far more demonic than your average vampire and my taste for blood, death and destruction is not the norm. I will not however apologize for it. I very much enjoy it and live to cause as much as I can at any given time."

Bella shook her head with a chuckle. "I wouldn't guess so. I mean, you set the bar for vampire kind, right?"

He shrugged, "I wouldn't say all that Isabella. I do not go out of my way to cause it like so many others unless it involves pissing off Aro. However, I won't ever walk away from the chance to do so either. I am simply myself. Bram Stoker was an idiot, he just never realized it. When he wrote his novel based on my life, he gave me the power I have. Humans think that Vladimir was his inspiration; vampires however, have always known the truth because they saw it happen."

Her eyes widened to a comical size, "So I was right? You and he switched places and you're the real Dracula?"

Again, Stefan nodded, "That we did and that I am, but I do remember telling you that once already."

She shrugged, "Don't be a dick, everything that happened before I woke up is a little hazy and not everything is there. It's kinda like a flip book that is missing pictures. Events that had the biggest impact are the clearest, but even those are dimmed and faded."

Pursing his lips, he nodded once again. "That is normal for a newborn and you should be thankful for what you have retained. Some vampires wake from the change and remember nothing but the pain they went through, not even their names."

Bella bit her lip and shuttered, "That would have sucked."

Stefan however disagreed. "On the contrary, it would have been preferred, makes things far easier to deal with."

"How so?"

Pursing his lips, he tisked, "Well, if you do not remember what you lost in your humanity, you cannot mourn it or miss it. You had a life before going to Italy I assume and it is now forever out of your reach. Never again can you so much as speak to anyone from your former life without putting them in danger. To them, you're really dead, even as you sit here speaking with me. It is a tradeoff. You gain much when you awaken as a vampire, but you lose much as well."

Head snapping up and pinching at the wave of pain that went with the quick movement, she gaped at him. Blinking repeatedly, she tried to make heads or tails of that but it was not computing. "So, my dad, my mom, my family; I can't even talk to them? I know you said I couldn't be around them because I would probably eat them, but I can't even call them and leave something open for when I wouldn't?"

He shook his head in the negative. "No. You're dead to them now and that is the way it has to be."

Bella's face would have flushed red if she still had blood in her veins. Her eyes darkened to a black so dark it was an unnamed color. Her lips pulled back from her teeth in a snarl and a growl ripped from her throat that shook the walls and windows. The pain to her ears never registered as she pulled free from Stefan's hold and whipped around with another snarl, locking her eyes on him and glaring. "I LOST my family?"

Not offset by her reaction in the slightest, Stefan nodded. "Yes, you did."

Closing her eyes and growling again, she shouted, regretting the action immediately afterwards, "I am going to fucking kill him!"

Stefan blinked at her again, not entirely sure who she was referring to. He was the one that bit her so even he knew it was him that stole her life and family. "Are you speaking again of Edward Cullen?"

Snorting like a bull, she glared, "Who the fuck else would I be talking about?"

Rubbing a hand down his face, Stefan placed his chin in his hand and cocked a brow at her, "I would have thought that you would be upset with me over this seeing as how I am the one that killed you."

She crossed her arms and glared harder, "While that might be true, HE was the one that gave you opportunity to do so. If the son of a bitch would have just kept his fucking mouth shut and acted his goddamn age, whatever that happens to be, and been a mature jackass when we broke up I never would have switched classes and gone to Italy in the first damn place. I lost my family and it is all his fucking fault!"

Stefan stood from the bed and slowly made his way to his extremely pissed off mate. Setting his hands on her hips and tightening his grip so she couldn't pull away, he dipped his head and nipped at the bite mark on her neck, stilling her automatically. "Dragă inimă, settle down. This is, believe it or not, not something to get so pissed off about. Better you know this now than you try and contact them and end up sentencing them to death."

She pouted, tearing up as Stefan's words broke through the haze of anger that gripped her. "He stole my life because he's a lying fucker." Looking up at him through her lashes, "I didn't even get to say goodbye."

Eyes softening when he saw the tears in her eyes, he sighed again, "Very few do. But, take this into consideration. Had Aro found out about your involvement with the Cullen coven, you would have been in this position anyways, only in the end, you would have been stuck with the Cullen coven for eternity, or worse yet, trapped within the binds of the Italian coven instead of where you are now."

Whimpering at the thought of either one happening, "But, why? I don't understand."

Tilting his head to the side, "Because of the rules of our world. While I do not personally give two fucks about Aro or his laws, others do and so does he. Secrecy is the number one rule for us to follow and with your involvement with a coven; he would have assumed you knew what they were."

Her voice rose again causing her head to throb, but she ignored it as best she could. "But I didn't! I just thought they were a bunch of fucking freaks just like everyone else in the town because they sure as fuck didn't dissuade anyone from thinking otherwise. So no matter what, eventually this was my future?" At his nod, she dropped her face into her hands as a sob rose up her throat. "I hate them, I fucking hate 'em all."

Running his fingers through her hair, he lowered his voice, concerned that the volume of her own was going to harm her hearing more. "Now that's not completely true. If you did, you would not have allowed Jasper to get that close to you earlier."

She sniffled, "Trying to make me see reason is not currently a good idea. I am really trying not to hate you too."

Smirking, he chuckled, "I wouldn't blame you if you did. However, what's done is done. There is no point in being so upset about what cannot be changed. You are a vampire now and that is the way of it. You can hate me for that if you want but your situation is not going to change. You can step into a ring of fire, but what you lost will be still be lost."

Bella picked her head up and looked up at him, anger and sorrow warring for dominance in the inky orbs. "I can't hate you. I really want to, but I can't. You said we were ruled by our instincts right?" He nodded and she bit her lip, "Was that what drove you in Italy?"

Looking up at the ceiling, he nodded slowly once, "More or less."

Confusion settling on her face, she inquired, "What does that mean? More or less?"

Blowing a breath of air hard from his nose, he actually had to think of how to explain that to a less than a full day old newborn that had no knowledge of the vampire world prior to her change. This was something that was learned over time and she has not been exposed to her actual new world long before she was bitten. Humming in his throat, he gave it try. "Instinct for our kind cannot be ignored or untold problems tend to arise. We will follow them without thought or question. When I caught your scent that day in the village proper, it called to me on the most basic level, the most primal level. Believe it or not, vampires are not civilized creatures by ANY stretch of the imagination. While we can communicate and most times exist in relative peace with one another, we have only three instincts and they are the most basic ones. Survive, eat and mate. That's our race in a nutshell. What I meant by more or less was it was not so much a choice I made that day, but my mating instinct that drove my actions."

Bella bit her lip as she ran that through her head. When she thought she had the basic understanding, "So, if the roles were reversed and I was the vampire and you were the human, I would have done the same thing to you, you did to me?"

Surprisingly, Stefan shook his head. "No my dear, you wouldn't have. Females of the race are not driven by their mating instinct; actually, I don't even know if they have one to be honest. Since we are unable to procreate and our race is continued through biting someone, the female rarely has a choice in the matter, even less of one if the female is a human at the time she is chosen. The male in the couple is the one that holds the power. Males are both stronger and faster but it is because it is the male that protects both his female and his home. Yes, females will attack those that get inside, but it is us that are the first line of defense." She glared at him and he shrugged, "What, it again is the way of things. Right now you are more volatile because you're young and your instinct to survive is in overdrive. As you age in this life and your strength wanes as your blood is continued to be consumed by the venom I forced into your veins, you will find yourself hiding behind me more and trying to kill everything that moves less." He cocked his head to the side in thought a moment, "Well, no, I suppose you will still attack other females, but after your eighth or ninth month, you won't attack an unknown male, your survival instinct will not allow you to."

Still glaring at him, "You're a sexist asshole, you know that?"

He smirked at her and snickered, "I suppose to a female it probably sounds that way, but I assure you, I am not making this up. I have seen it happen and I have also seen many females destroyed for thinking their strength was on par with a male. Right now, you are perfectly capable of defending yourself if you had to since you are a newborn and your human blood is still in your veins. But as it is snuffed out by the venom of your change, that will change."

Looking at his chest that was right in front of her eyes, she pursed her lips and contemplated that. "How long do you think before that happens?"

He shrugged, "It could be as early as six months but your strength will be fully weaned by the end of your first year and you will be no stronger than an average female vampire. Far stronger than any human, but far weaker than a male of the race."

A spark that went straight to Stefan's dick lit in Bella's eyes as she looked to the door, "But for now, I'm stronger than a guy?"

Chuckling and smirking in a way that nearly had Bella melting into a puddle, "Yes, for now you are indeed stronger than any male that does not know how to handle a newborn."

Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, "What's that?"

Sighing in a nearly playful way, "newborns are indeed strong dragoste, but an untrained newborn is predictable. Anyone that has spent any time around one will know how to subdue them, much like I did you when you first woke up."

Shuddering at the thought of Edward even touching her, she slouched into Stefan's chest with a quiet groan. "So the fucker just gets off scot-free then and there is nothing I can do about it?"

Sliding his fingers into her hair, "Now I didn't say that. I said if he knew what he was doing with a newborn he could subdue you. However, with the sheltered life that he has lived, I highly doubt that he would know what to do should I not be fast enough to stop you again. You will however want to avoid the Major. He has more experience with newborns than any other vampire alive. However, should the idiot so much as skim your flesh he will have me to deal with."

Pressing her face harder into his chest, she snorted hard before laughing outright. "Please, Jasper wouldn't step in if he was paid to. If I remember right, and I might not, he wasn't Fuckward's biggest fan then and that has not seemed to have changed much."

Smiling at the bell-like sound of his mate's laughter, Stefan pulled her by the hair until she was looking up at him. Dipping his head to butt his nose to hers, "Why do you not simply put him out of your mind for now? If you wish to test your strength, I can think of a much… harder target in which to attack."

Bella shivered from her hair to her toes at the tone of his voice. It left absolutely NO doubt as to what he was talking about either. Eyelids sliding to half mast, she swallowed hard as he continued to wreak havoc on her senses. Licking her lips and inadvertently touching his as well, "how do you do that?"

Humming a purr, he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him, "Do what?"

Swallowing a moan and her breath catching in her throat, she gasped at the feel of him. Even through clothing, though he was not wearing much and she wasn't either, she could feel every line, every rock hard muscle of his flex against her driving her to the brink of insanity. Placing her hands on his bare chest seemingly against her will, "This? How do you do this, take over everything to the point I can't even think?"

Chuckling low and sending a rock of desire to her core, he spoke against her lips, "I am doing nothing. That my love; is all you. Tell me Isabella, how is your hearing?"

Eyes closing completely as she felt his fingers tighten and pull at her hair; she was unable to stop the gasped moan that seemed to have come from the depths of her now black soul. "It's alright I guess."

Closing the distance between their lips so not even paper could slide between them, "and the ringing?"

Biting her lip and groaned, "Slightly more tolerable."

Smirking wide, Stefan purred, "perfect."

Crushing his lips to hers, Stefan used the grip he had on her hair to tilt her head to the perfect angle before biting at her lips and demanding her compliance. Bella, for her part, was doing well to simply stay on her feet as his tongue swept past her lips and devoured her moans and whines like a starving man. She had never felt like this, so out of her control and the part that scared her was she didn't care. The man could literally do whatever the fuck he wanted and she wouldn't say shit against it.

He did too.

Using the arm that was around her waist, he lifted her feet from the floor and twisted to face the bed. Bella wrapped her legs around his hips and slid her arms around his neck to push herself close to him. The relocation of upright to on her back left her coming up short, gasping at the movement she was still getting used to. Stefan used her gasp to his advantage and plunged further into her mouth, leaving nothing hidden from his exploration.

Putting his hands on either side of her head for leverage, he lifted himself up slightly and pressed the hardness between his legs harder into the heat between hers making her arch her back and press even closer to him. He didn't actually intend for this to come about so soon but he was not about to let the opportunity to pass him by either. The only thing that was going to stop him from claiming his mate that night was her telling him to stop. Would he like it, not in the least but he refused to force her to do this. THIS was with her consent or it wasn't going to happen at all. He might have been a cold-hearted bastard, but he was not now, or ever been a rapist. He wouldn't do that to anyone and most certainly not his mate. He killed that kind of demon in the most horrific ways he could think of and he had one hell of an imagination.

With that in mind, he pulled away from her lips, much to her irritation, and turned smoldering onyx eyes full of pure lust and need on the woman under him, looking at him in much the same way. Running a hand down her side, he gripped her thigh and lifted her leg higher and into a better position. He said he wouldn't rape her, he never said he wouldn't persuade her into consent. Smiling a slightly demonic smile that sent another wave of arousal into the air, Stefan took a deep breath, purring at the scent. "You have one chance to end this. Stop me now or I will not. If we continue, you cannot change your mind. You will be completely mine before the sun rises."

Bella was actually shocked at the words that went in one ear and nearly out the other in her fogged state. She was not expecting him to give her a choice in the matter. Looking in his eyes, she knew she wasn't going to stop him, but it was surprisingly nice that he was giving her the chance if she wanted it. As she stared at him, she was also taken aback at the fact that she now knew he was right all the times he said she was his. She bristled at the words but that didn't make it any less true. The fucker owned her in nearly every way and if she said he could, in every way. But, she knew that even if she didn't want this, she couldn't say no. Stefan Ce Mare was a mean son of a bitch but she was his; his from even the moment that she saw him in Italy just over two weeks ago. Did she love him, not a chance, but she would, she knew she would and it wouldn't take much. He was who he was and made no excuses for his past or his behavior. He also never lied to her, more like he was brutally honest with her even if she didn't want to hear the truth.

Looking at him, she cocked her brow slightly, "I'm yours am I not?"

Humming in satisfaction at finally hearing her say it, he smirked slightly, "You are indeed dragii mei, but this is eternal and I will not force you." Growling slightly, "Say it Isabella."

Dragging her nails down his chest and arching slightly at the sound that came from the man above her, she locked her black eyes on his, "I'm yours."

Something sparked in Stefan's eyes as those words left her lips, but she didn't get a good enough look before her eyes snapped shut when he dropped his head and roughly dragging his teeth over his bite mark and growled again, "You will be."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Four hours later Stefan was propped against his pillows with a hand behind his head while the other played with his mate's hair as she lay on his chest pretending to sleep. Glancing down at her, he smiled slightly as for the first time since he first saw her, her scent told of contentment. He lifted a brow when he thought he saw her ear twitch at hearing something that was out of his range or too quiet for him to hear as well. He tilted his head to the side when her brow drew down and she opened her eyes. "Is the ringing bothering you again, dragoste?" She shook her head but otherwise remained still. "Then is something troubling you, dragii mei?"

She glanced at him and bit her lip. "I'm not sure. I can hear the Cullen's talking but it doesn't make a damn bit of sense."

He snorted and closed his eyes, "they eat animals Darling. There is nothing about them that makes any sense."

She glared lightly, "They are talking about ME, Stefan."

Cracking an eye open, "And what are they saying?"

Lifting a corner of her lip in an impressive impersonation of Elvis, she shook her head, "That's what doesn't make sense. From what I can gather Carlisle, Fuckward and Alice are convinced that I need rescuing and are planning on something stupid. Because I tried to attack the stupid bastard they think you did something to me to make me hate them and they think that if they get me away from you I will go back to being the girl that dated the prick. Also something about me already being changed working well for them. What do you think that means?"

He snorted, "That Carlisle is more of an idiot than ever I thought." Moving his fingers from her hair, he drug his nails over the new mark that marred her neck making Bella gasp and arch harder into his side, his voice dark and possessive when he spoke; "there is nothing anyone can do to take you from me and I will not hesitate to decimate anyone that tries. You're mine, Pereche, and nothing can change that, not anymore."

She looked up at him through hooded eyes and had to bite back the whorish moan that tried to escape her at the look she was getting. Flashes in perfect detail flew before her eyes of the events of the past hours and as a result, pushed her still uncovered sex into his leg making his eyes darken back to the unnamed black coal of earlier. Stefan's mouth actually watered in remembrance of her taste and not one to deny himself of his wants, pushed her shoulder and rolled to hover over her, settling between her legs once again. Dipping his head and nuzzling his nose to hers, he whispered, once again in that dark and possessive voice that soaked the sheet beneath her, "Shall we remind them who you belong to my mate?"

She didn't even attempt to stop herself from sounding like a whore this time. The things this man did to her were so delightfully sinful, she would readily admit to anyone who asked that she was in fact, Stefan Ce Mare's whore and she didn't give a fuck. Even the very first time he touched her he played her body like a well-tuned fiddle and as he mapped her body earlier, he proved he could play her well.

There was no real warm up, there wasn't a need. She was wet and ready just as she should be. When she wrapped her legs around his hips, he growled at the heat that engulfed him and the wetness that slid down his painfully hard dick with no prompt. In one powerful thrust, he was sheathed to the hilt and her shriek of pleasure rang out and bounced off the walls, echoing through the halls of the palace. There was a smirk in her eyes when they opened to half mast to look at the man above her.

That shut the fuckers up.

Reaching down and grabbing her leg, he lifted it higher on his waist to enable him to go deeper and hit that perfect spot that only he will ever find. When his mate arched her back completely off the bed with a gasped moan, he knew he found it on the first try.

Tossing her head back, her eyes slammed closed and her mouth dropped open in a silent scream. She felt his teeth scrape her throat and groaned aloud, his name sounding just for him as the world began to blur and fuzz. She opened her eyes again to see him smirking at her, "I do believe you can do better than that."

To prove his point, he pulled out till just the very tip of him was still inside her and slammed his hips to hers, choking her and at the same time, ripping his name from her lips so loudly that he was fucking positive that the village at the base of his mountain heard her bringing a sinister light to his eyes. Dipping his head, he hovered over her lips and growled, "That's my girl." and crushed his lips to hers, using her gasp to push past her lips and attack her mouth with his tongue.

Dragging his fingers down her chest, following the valley of her breasts, he raked his nails along her stomach making her back arch and walls clench around him. His mate was absolutely perfect for him, loving every second of the rough treatment he bestowed on her and he found the rougher he was with her, the more she loved it. She wasn't going to last much longer, he knew, not with how hard her walls were fluttering around him, but he was also sure that he could get her to scream his name at least once more and he wanted his own ears to ring with the sound.

Her words from before they started danced through his mind against his will and he was overcome with such a fierce possessive protectiveness that he actually ripped his mouth from hers and growled, baring his teeth, snarling "MINE" before gripping her hips in a skin cracking hold and pulled her body to his as he thrust forward as hard as he could, sending them both over that edge into oblivion. Gripping her by the back of the neck, he pulled her to him and sunk his teeth gums deep into the mark he gave her only hours prior making her scream out, the pain and pleasure she was feeling warring for the dominant feeling, Stefan's name falling from her lips sending a tremor down his spine and freezing every single person in the palace in place.

Jasper was in the throne room speaking with Vladimir when the scream sounded out stopping him mid-sentence and making his eyes go wide and head snap up to the ceiling. His jaw dropped and his hand came up to cover his mouth and Vladimir dropped his face into his palm, shaking his head back and forth.

Turning his head to look at the Romanian Lord, Jasper smirked a little, "Jesus Christ, think that hurt?"

Vladimir grunted, "I doubt it, but do you truly care?"

Jasper snorted, "It might be time you yourself consider taking a mate, Sir. Otherwise…"

Vladimir waved a hand to cut him off, "Don't go there."

*X*

It took Stefan a few moments to come back to himself and he was not complaining about what he came back to. His mate was wrapped tightly around him sitting in his lap, legs around his waist, ankles locked with him still buried to the hilt; arms trapped between them with her fingers gripping his shoulders and her hard breathing in his ears. The one thing however that made this picture perfect moment between them a little off was the red tended venom that was leaking from under his lips and sliding down his mate's chest and back. Growling slightly at the sweet taste of her venom flooding his mouth, he very slowly removed his teeth from her flesh, using his own to seal the wound back together as he went. Looking at the mark, he gently bathed it with his tongue to sooth the burn that he knew she was feeling.

She opened her eyes and looked at him through her lashes when he pulled away again, her unneeded breaths still rough and jagged. Licking her dry lips after a minute or so, she chuckled lightly before she started to laugh, her body shaking with the sound. "Jesus Christ what the fuck man? That shit hurts you know."

He smirked at her, eyes shining at the sound coming from his mate. "You liked it."

Laughing harder, "That is so beside the point. Seriously, what the hell was that?"

Eyes and face darkening, he growled again, this time giving Bella pause. That was not a nice sound and she was slightly afraid that she did something to set off his horrible temper. She might not have known the man long, but she did remember the things she read about him and knew that a pissed off Stefan was an extremely dangerous Stefan. Her eyes widened when he tightened the grip he still had on her hip and neck and a squeak sounded from her throat. She wasn't so much scared that he was going to hurt her but from the look in his eyes, she knew SOMEONE wasn't going to be so lucky. Clearing her throat lightly, her voice high and that squeak was still there. "Um, you alright there bud?"

Stefan didn't hear her that time, still hearing her words about someone thinking to take her away from him. He pulled her closer to his body leaving not a millimeter between them and if Bella was still a human, her chest would have been crushed by the force he was holding her. She was becoming slightly more concerned when the sound of cracking reached her ears and once again cursed the fact she could hear things he could not. She started to struggle against his hold out of pure instinct but that was the wrong thing to do apparently. His dark eyes turned on her and she whimpered so low he didn't hear it. He was holding her so tightly that she couldn't get any air in her lungs to talk and because of that she couldn't tell him to let go. So she was forced to do the only thing she could.

She bit him.

Her teeth slid into his shoulder joint with no resistance and the reaction was instant. His eyes snapped back into focus and his nose was hit with the scent of fear. Shaking his head, he released his grip and Bella wasted NO time pulling away from him, her hand reaching up to hold the back of her neck and the other pressing on her hip. Looking at him with wide eyes and parted lips, she stuttered not knowing what to say. She was so far passed confused about what the fuck just happened and didn't know how to calm him back down.

Stefan on the other hand didn't know how to explain to her what occurred in a way that would make a lick of sense to her. Rubbing his face with both his hands before running them through his hair and gripping at the strands of silk, he dropped his head, chin to chest, and growled low in his throat again making Bella squeak but she didn't dare move a muscle, not after that.

Lifting his eyes to look at his scared mate, Stefan sighed hard and turned away from her confused eyes. "I apologize, dragoste. I didn't intend to scare you."

Bella blinked and nodded, her voice slightly teary, "You okay?"

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly through his nose to dislodge the scent of fear, he licked his lip and nodded slightly, "Give me a moment."

Nodding quickly, Bella continued to stare at Stefan with wide eyes. When he had himself back under a semblance of control, he lifted his head and looked at his mate. "I didn't harm you, did I?"

She shook her head not wanting to tell him about hearing the cracking or the burning pain in her neck and hip where he held her so tightly. "No, I'm good. How about you; you good?"

Rubbing between his eyes with the tip of his finger, he closed his eyes, nodding slowly. "Perfect; and you are lying."

Choking on her tongue, she shook her head but before she could say anything he glared at her, "Remember what I told you about scent? I can smell the lie."

Wincing at the reminder, she shrugged a helpless shoulder, "You just scared the crap out of me. Forgive me for not wanting to piss you off again."

Dropping to his side, he propped a foot on the bed and bent his knee and covered his eyes with an arm. "You did nothing, Darling."

Blinking at him and her confusion growing, "Then what the fuck was that dude? You almost shattered my skin."

Growling again, Stefan sighed, "That was in response to your earlier words and nothing you did, I assure you. What that was, was a male vampire's possessiveness when it comes to his mate. I apologize for hurting you, however had you not bitten me, it could have gotten worse and I wouldn't have noticed. The only thing I would have cared about was that you were within my hold and no one could have touched you."

Bella nodded, "But you're okay now, right?"

He looked at her from under his arm, "Once you calm, all will be well. Your current fear, no matter the reason, will keep my demon on edge. My inner monster doesn't care the cause only that it is there. If you settle so will I."

Bella cocked her head to the side and thought about what he just said but couldn't understand what he meant. "So you have a split personality or something?"

Pursing his lips he hummed in his throat before shrugging, "I suppose you could think of it that way. It is just as good as any explanation I could give you."

Shifting her weight and moving a little closer to him, she gave him a cheeky grin, "If it helps I don't want them anywhere near me." Scrunching her face and biting the tip of her tongue, she shook her head, "Ewe, nasty Cullen's, yucky."

Stefan snorted hard before he started to laugh making Bella giggle and swoon at the noise. That was first time she heard him really laugh and it did something to her that she couldn't explain but liked just the same.

*X*

After Stefan calmed down and allowed her to leave his sight, she went to the bathroom and ran a bath to soak and get the venom that was stuck to her skin off. She spent about an hour in the water until Stefan called for her come to him a moment. Sighing at the interruption of her bath, she pulled the plug and got out, wrapping herself in Stefan's fluffy robe and a towel around her hair. Walking out into the main room again, she tilted her head to the side and whined, "It couldn't have waited just a little longer? I was enjoying that."

It was then she noticed something on the bed covered with a cloth to hide it from view. Stefan crossed his arm and raised a brow, "I had a surprise for you, but if you would prefer…"

Squealing and bouncing on the balls of her feet, her eyes alight, "Fuck that bath. What did you get me?"

Chuckling at her enthusiasm, he smiled at her, "You recall the decision we had about contacting those from your human life yes?" He watched her eyes dim but she nodded anyways. Holding his hand out and stepping to the side, "Then you may have this."

Narrowing her eyes slightly, a small smile forming on her lips, Bella slowly moved to the bed and looked at the bump under the cover, curious what it had to do with that unwanted information. Glancing at Stefan quickly, she reached out and removed the cover, squealing again when she saw her luggage that she thought was gone forever sitting innocently on the bed in front of her. Her suitcase and messenger bag were just as she remembered them and with venom flooding her eyes, she turned and pounced on Stefan, jumping up and wrapping her arms and legs around him, planting a smacking kiss on his cheek.

Pulling back, she gave him a blinding smile. "Oh my god, thank you so much. I thought I was never going to see it again."

Chuckling at her response, "You're quite welcome my love. I suppose this was the least I could do after the display earlier. However, though I am returning your electronics, you must remember the rules. You can in no way contact anyone."

Looking at her messenger bag and knowing what was in it, she pursed her lips, "Those can be tracked Stefan."

He smirked at her and kissed tip of her nose before setting her on her feet once again. "Not anymore. That was seen to already which is the only reason they are still here." She looked at him waiting for him to explain that. Smiling at her, he did just that. "The GPS tracking device was removed from everything that had one and put in something else we had lying around. It was the replacement that was removed from the grounds. The ones in your possession are the ones you had with you when you arrived." Giving her a look that said he was in no way fucking around, "If I find out that you used them in a way I said you could not, I will take it all back and your ass is grass, understood?"

Ignoring the feeling of being treated like a child, she nodded and agreed. Lifting two fingers in the air, she straightened her spine and looked him dead in the eye, "Scout's honor."

Rolling his eyes at her, he simply shook his head. "Very well, just know I am not joking."

She had already turned away and dumped her messenger bag on the bed, looking for her keys so she could get into the suitcase. Not turning from her search, "Yeah, yeah, I got it. I call my dad I get a spanking."

He snorted but chose not to correct her. It would be far worse than that if she decided not to listen to him but he scared her enough for the day and didn't much feel like doing it again. Moving to sit in a chair, he watched her go through everything, tossing her clothing all over the place as she hunted for something in particular, stopping just long enough to strip out of the robe and into barely there cotton shorts and a sports bra before going back to the search. When she apparently found it, she whooped and pumped her fist into the air before turning to the mess she made when she dumped her messenger bag.

When she shot her hand towards something, Stefan called out to her, "Stop."

Freezing in place, fingers just short of touching her iPod, she turned her head to look at him, her eyes narrowed and lips pursed. "You said I could have it."

He nodded, "Indeed I did and yes you can, but do not forget darling, you are far stronger than you used to be. If you are not careful, you will break it."

Pursing her lips, she looked at him before turning back to her iPod and pouted, "So what do you suggest?"

Tilting his head to the side, he tisked before speaking, "Think of it as a bubble and how gently you must touch that to not pop it. If you can feel pressure on you skin, you are using too much strength and it will shatter."

Whining in her throat at the thought of breaking her favorite toy, she stuck her bottom lip out and looked back at Stefan, "Will you help me? I don't want to break it. I don't have the money to get a new one."

Rubbing his temple, Stefan shook his head at that remark but stood anyways and walked over to her. Had she broken it, he would have replaced it for her. Perhaps later he would explain a few things she apparently didn't know about being his mate, but it was not important at the moment. Getting her to stop looking at him like that, however, certainly was. Picking up the device she was looking at, he turned it over in his hand. Though he was in no way electronically stupid, this was a new toy for him.

Turning to her, "Explain what you would like done."

Smiling at him, she lifted a brow, "Have you ever seen an iPod before?"

He shrugged, "I know computers very well actually, but this is new for me...yes. I have seen them before but never used one myself."

Giving him a quick rundown of how to use the touch screen and what icon was what, she had him turn on one of the preset playlists, slide it into the armband she had for it and he even helped her put her earphones in. There was a volume control on the cord to her headphones so he was quick to adjust the level when she shrieked at the loudness of it. Brow drawn in concern, "Are you alright?"

Giving her head a shake, she nodded, "Yeah, I'm good. Turn it up a little more."

Sliding the lever slowly, he stopped when she nodded. She could control the device from there. The headphones were expensive, but with the buttons on it, she could change the songs and play with the volume without ever touching the iPod itself as long as she kept in mind Stefan's advice about the bubble. Having him do one last thing and wrap the extra cord around the case so she didn't get caught on it, she pecked him on the cheek again before she started searching for a song she was dying to hear.

When she found it, she giggled and started to bounce and dance around the room, much to Stefan's amusement.

 _Feels like your life is over  
Feels like all hope is gone  
You kiss it all away _

_Maybe maybe_

 _This is a second coming  
This is a call to arms  
Your finest hour won't be wasted wasted _

_Hey hey hell is what you make make  
Rise against your fate fate _

_Nothing's gonna keep you down_

 _Even if it's killing you  
Because you know the truth _

_Listen up listen up  
There's a devil in the church  
Got a bullet in the chamber  
And this is gonna hurt _

_Let it out let it out  
You can scream and you can shout  
Keep your secrets in the shadows and you'll be sorry _

_Everybody's getting numb  
Everybody's on the run _

_Listen up listen up  
There's a devil in the church  
Got a bullet in the chamber  
And this is gonna hurt _

_You got your hell together  
You know it could be worse  
A self-inflicted murder _

_Maybe maybe_

 _You say it's all a crisis  
You say it's all a blur  
There comes a time you've gotta face it face it _

_Hey hey hell is what you make make  
Rise against your fate fate  
Nothing's gonna keep you down _

_Even if it's killing you  
Because you know the truth _

_Listen up listen up  
There's a devil in the church  
Got a bullet in the chamber  
And this is gonna hurt _

_Let it out let it out  
You can scream and you can shout  
Keep your secrets in the shadows and you'll be sorry _

_Everybody's getting numb  
Everybody's on the run _

_Listen up listen up  
There's a devil in the church  
Got a bullet in the chamber  
And this is gonna hurt_

 _This is gonna_

 _Listen up listen up  
There's a devil in the church  
Got a bullet in the chamber  
And this is gonna hurt _

_Let it out let it out  
You can scream and you can shout  
Keep your secrets in the shadows and you'll be sorry _

_Everybody's getting numb  
Everybody's on the run _

_Everybody's getting some  
Everybody's on the run_

 _And this is gonna hurt_

 _This is gonna hurt_

Stefan smirked at the words to the song as she settled slightly when it ended. He had never heard it before, but it certainly held a message. Tilting his head to the side, he used the time it took her to find another song, "What was that?"

Smiling at him knowing that he was going to like it when she picked it, "It's called 'this is gonna hurt' by a band called Sixx AM. If you liked that, I have another one I think you will enjoy as well."

Flipping through the songs until she heard what she was looking for, she smirked at him and jutted out a hip, "See if this sounds familiar."

 _Fall_

 _Now the dark begins to rise  
Save your breath, it's far from over  
Leave the lost and dead behind  
Now's your chance to run for cover_

 _I don't wanna change the world  
I just wanna leave it colder_

 _Light the fuse and burn it up  
Take the path that leads to nowhere_

 _All is lost again  
But I'm not giving in_

 _I will not bow  
I will not break  
I will shut the world away_

 _I will not fall  
I will not fade  
I will take your breath away_

 _Fall_

 _Watch the end through dying eyes  
Now the dark is taking over  
Show me where forever dies  
Take the fall and run to Heaven_

 _All is lost again  
But I'm not giving in_

 _I will not bow  
I will not break  
I will shut the world away_

 _I will not fall  
I will not fade  
I will take your breath away_

 _And I'll survive, paranoid  
I have lost the will to change  
And I'm not proud, cold-blooded fake  
I will shut the world away_

 _Open your eyes!_

 _I will not bow  
I will not break  
I will shut the world away_

 _I will not fall  
I will not fade  
I will take your breath away_

 _And I'll survive; paranoid  
I have lost the will to change  
And I'm not proud, cold-blooded fake  
I will shut the world away_

 _Fall!_

Chuckling at her, he knew what she was getting at; her attitude at the beginning of this venture. "Indeed it does. And what was that?"

She giggled, "It's called 'I will not bow' by a band called Breaking Benjamin. I absolutely love those guys. They actually have a lot of songs I'm sure you would like. This one always makes me laugh. I discovered it right after the fucktard and I split up and fell in love the first time I heard it." Getting a Cheshire cat look to her eyes, "Can he hear me right now?"

A fond look overtook his face as he nodded, "If you sing loud enough, I'm sure he will."

Grinning so wide it looked painful, she started to search her songs for the one she wanted and giggled again when she found it. "You're going to love this."

 _I haven't been to church since I don't remember when  
Things were goin' great 'til they fell apart again  
So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do  
He said you can't go hatin' others who have done wrong to you  
Sometimes we get angry, but we must not condemn  
Let the good Lord do His job and you just pray for them_

 _I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill  
I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I'd like to_

 _I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls  
I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls  
I pray all your dreams never come true  
Just know wherever you are fucker, I pray for you_

 _I'm really glad I found my way to church  
_ ' _Cause I'm already feelin' better and I thank God for the words  
Yeah I'm goin' to take the high road  
And do what the preacher told me to do  
You keep messin' up and I'll keep prayin' for you_

 _I pray your tire blows out at 100 and 10  
I pray you pass out drunk with your best friend and wake up with his and her tattoos_

 _I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill  
I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I'd like to_

Bobbing her head to the beat in her ears, Bella took a deep breath and belted the words out as loud as she could to prove her point.

 _I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls  
I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls  
I pray all your dreams never come true  
Just know wherever you are, near or far, in your house or in your car,  
Wherever you are fucker, I pray for you._

 _I pray for you_

Stefan clapped for her when she bowed and she started to laugh HARD when she heard a pissy ass growl sound from elsewhere in the palace. When she settled, she turned bright red, elated eyes on Stefan and shrugged, "Course, that was before I found out none of that would have actually hurt the bastard. I still love it though. I think it gets the point across I hate 'em. What do you think, so much better than 'I will survive' right?" Tapping her finger to her lips, "However, that song does hold merit."

Grimacing at the thought, Stefan cleared his throat, "While that might be true, please, spare me that one, dragoste, I beg of you." She giggled at him but nodded to the request, going back to dancing around the room when a tech mix of the Mortal Kombat theme started to play.

Stefan was mesmerized by the way she moved, using the large floor to show off her gymnastics skills. He only drew his eyes from her when there was a knock on the door. Growling at the interruption, he called them to enter, not thinking about Bella's reaction to the introduction of someone else in the room.

Not expecting to see anyone when she opened her eyes, Bella yelped and jolted, knocking her off balance enough to drop and crack her head on the floor. Sitting up, she grabbed the headphone cord and ripped them out of her ears with a growl before grabbing at her ears as the ringing started again. "Mother fucker." Squeezing her eyes shut, she dropped her head between her bent knees and groaned. Turning to the door with a dark glare on her face, eyes promising extreme pain to the responsible party, she growled at Radu, "You fucking suck asshole."

Stefan stood from his seat and went to her, crouching down beside her not knowing what was wrong because that shouldn't have hurt. "Are you alright?"

She whimpered, "No, the god damn ringing is back."

Face dawning with understanding and sympathy entering his eyes, he nodded. Replacing her hands with his, he took over rubbing her ears and turned to the door where Radu was still standing looking like he was going to crap himself. "You needed something?"

Clearing his throat, Radu nodded, "Felix just called. He wanted to inform you that Aro was making ready to leave Italy."

Stilling his fingers, much to Bella's irritation, he cocked a brow, "Just now he is readying to leave?"

Radu shrugged, "That is what Felix said."

Face pinched in slight confusion, he nodded and dismissed the guard. He had been under the impression that the stupid prick was already on his way, not just getting ready to be. He was expecting to receive him in days and if he was just leaving then he wouldn't arrive for at least a week if not more. It wasn't like it mattered either way. His pawns were in place waiting on his signal already but something about that message wasn't sitting well with him and he decided to get to the bottom of it once he saw to his mate and her comfort first.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Seven hours later a well-fed, tipsy Bella was in the throne room sitting on the left arm of Stefan's chair with her feet propped on his right thigh with a pad of paper in her lap and a pencil in her hand working on a drawing trying not to break the fucking thing. This was an exercise that Stefan came up with to help her work on her strength and it was something that she enjoyed doing. With the way he was holding her and feeling his finger running along her skin, it made her feel protected and gave her something to focus on enough to stay calm and not growl every time she heard someone move.

Stefan was sitting with his arm around her waist and his hand high on her thigh, his thumb rubbing the flesh of her stomach with his chin in his other hand talking with Vladimir. Every so often he would hear his mate growl or feel the vibration from it and glance at her out of the corner of his eye, but she never looked away from the paper in her lap, but whenever she growled, she would tighten her grip on the pencil and render it to dust.

He would give her the credit owed to her however. For as young as she was, she was doing quite well. She had her moments, as all newborns did, but she was trying and he wouldn't take that away from her. He was well aware how hard this had to be for her; there were intruders in her home and one of them she loathed with every fiber of her being; however, she only made to attack once and has not tried again. He knew she would, it was only a matter of time, but even still, she has not gone out of her way to kill the moron and he was proud of her. He couldn't imagine how much more difficulty was added to it due to the fact that she could ALWAYS hear him and the rest of the coven either. He didn't stop himself from eradicating someone he despised when they were stupid enough to invade his home, but she was and that was a feat that not many can achieve. He also knew it was because he asked her not to and she was doing everything she could to honor his request, nothing more. Had he not asked that of her, the whole of the Cullen coven would have been destroyed in moments, excluding the Major of course. And that wouldn't have been due to lack of trying on her part, he just has too much experience with newborns to fall to one.

Vladimir glanced at Bella and watched as her body tensed and her eyes fade to a black so deep that even the whites of her eyes began to vanish. Her lips, ever so slowly, pulled from her teeth in to a snarl that nearly sent a shiver down his spine. She didn't look like any vampire he had ever seen in her anger. He would liken her far closer to a demon and as her temper rose, her eyes continued to grow darker and narrow to the point he wasn't even sure she could see any longer. He shifted his eyes to Stefan and nodded to her, drawing his attention to the pissed off female.

Stefan turned his head and looked at the demonic little thing sitting on his chair and lifted a brow at her. She had made no attempt to move but he assumed it was taking every ounce of control she had to stay put. Tightening his fingers around her thigh, he lowered his thumb and brushed it with added force over the apex of her legs making her snap back to the room she was in with a gasped yelp.

Turning her head a little to look at Stefan, she bit her lip before sighing and looking back to the pad of paper in her lap. "Sorry."

Smirking at her a little, he tilted his head to the side, "Whatever are you sorry about? I was merely trying to get your attention. Is something troubling you, my love?"

Growling low in her chest, she glared at the ceiling, "No, nothing at all." He lifted a brow at her and she sighed hard, "The fucker won't shut the hell up and his voice is comparable to nails on a chalkboard. It hurts my ears."

Nodding slightly, he turned back to Vladimir, "Ignore him my dear."

Giving Stefan a sidelong look, she huffed but made a decent attempt, in her opinion, to do just that and turned her attention back to her task of not breaking the pencil. Looking at the drawing, she snickered at what she drew; turning it to the cousins when they inquired what she was drawing. It was a picture of a flowerpot hitting Edward in the head and knocking his ass out. Shrugging at a comment of that not being nice, "At least then he would be silent."

Twenty minutes or so later, she looked up from her drawing and glanced to the door with a slight snarl setting on her face. Taking a sniff of the air, she huffed a growl and turned back to her paper. "The prick and his daddy are coming."

Stefan looked at her before looking to the door himself but couldn't hear them anywhere near them. "How are you sure they are coming here and not simply leaving to hunt."

Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, she smirked, a spark of an idea settling in her mind. "You could be right, but if they do come here, I get one of those kick ass cloaks."

Both cousins chuckled and Stefan nodded, "I would have given you one anyways Darling but so be it. If they do not however, what do I get?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes knowing perfectly well what he would want, but said nothing, instead she began to hum the tune to 'Pray for you' and turned back to her picture. Hey, she was still slightly tipsy, don't judge.

Less than a minute later, the doors to the room were thrown open making Bella smirk as she continued to hum. In a sing song voice, "You own me a cloak." Then started to sing under her breath the words to the song knowing fully well HE could hear her. He called her a whore, it was perfectly justified.

Shaking his head at her and the juvenile behavior, he turned his attention to the vampires that just entered, his mind once again whispering his mate's words about them wanting to take her making his grip on her thigh tighten again, silencing Bella and had her eyes shooting to him in remembrance as well.

Closing her eyes, 'mother fuck. Just what I need right now.'

Vladimir noticed the change in Stefan's scent and leaned over to whisper in his ear so the present Cullen's couldn't hear him. "Calm yourself Stefan, lest you hurt her again."

Blinking at that, Stefan loosened his grip so as not to cause pain, but not so much for her to free herself from his hold and attack. He had other things in mind for the idiots and they didn't include putting them back together if she got her hands on them. Glaring at Carlisle, "What can I do for you?"

Edward made to step forward, but a hand on his shoulder from Carlisle stilled him. Squaring his shoulders, he looked to the vampire that he knew was upset, but couldn't figure the reason. "We were heading out to hunt and thought that Bella would like to join us. She needs to know that there are alternatives to killing humans to survive."

Remembering Jasper's reaction to the diet he was talking about, Bella gagged and snorted at the same time knowing full well Stefan's opinion on the matter. Glancing at Stefan out of the corner of her eye, she saw his darken even more and if it was possible, he would have been foaming at the mouth. Under her breath, "The fuck I do, tampit. Go much your fur and leave me alone."

Squeezing her leg to once again silence her, Stefan's glare darkened. "What you choose to ingest is your choice but do not think to poison my mate with such filth."

Edward growled, "She's not your mate, she's mine, she had always been mine. She was my singer when she was human which makes her mine."

Bella turned to Stefan and cocked a brow, "His what?"

Stefan shook his head, "Nothing. It refers to the scent of your blood, which you no longer even have so the point is moot. The scent of your blood called to him but the scent of your body called to me." Looking at Edward, "Any properly raised vampire knows the difference between blood and arousal, and any vampire with half a brain would silence himself lest I do. You are a guest in my home and you would do well to remember that within these walls, I need no justification to kill you, merely the desire."

Tilting his head to the side, he smirked, "And as you will be staying for an undetermined amount of time, I would stay away from her if were you, boy, because I have killed others for less."

That caught the attention of everyone in the room. Bella's head snapped to look at him, a look of absolute horror on her face. Vladimir cocked a brow at him but figured that it had something to do with the game Stefan was playing and the two present Cullen's didn't hide their surprise at the statement that was made so off hand that they were brought up short.

Bella was the one that spoke, though her voice was more of a horrified shriek. "What! Stefan you can't be serious. I don't want those fuckers within a thousand miles of me let alone in the same building. Remember, Ewe nasty Cullen's, yucky."

Looking at her, there was an amused spark to his eyes, "Now calm down Darling. There is a purpose for everything."

Jaw dropping, "But you won't let me kill that son of a bitch; hell you won't even let me fuck him up and he has no purpose other than firewood." Turning to glare at him when he growled at her words, her teeth were clenched, "Don't push me fucker. I know you have something to do with this because you live to fuck up everything you come into contact with. If you growl at me again I will rip out your vocal cords and feed them to you."

A dark look settled on Edward's face as he looked at her. "What could I possibly have done?"

Narrowing her eyes, "I don't know but since you are the cause of every bad thing that has happened to me in the last two weeks, I do not doubt your involvement in this too you stupid fucking prick."

Looking appalled at the declaration, "I beg your pardon? What part did I play in you taking up with that barbarian?"

Eyes going black as pitch, face taking on that demonic look from earlier, she snarled, "Call him that again, I fucking dare you."

Stefan looked to his mate with a fond look in his eyes, "Settle Isabella."

Turning those dark eyes on him, "But he…"

Placing his hand over her mouth to silence her, he smiled at his mate, "Sticks and stones my love. Now, as I was saying, I am positive that Carlisle and his coven will want to be here to explain their involvement in the disappearance of you and your classmates when Aro arrives." Glancing with a sinister spark in his eyes at the stunned vampire, "I should think, and I am positive that Carlisle will agree, Aro will be most interested to hear about it."

Carlisle stuttered as Vladimir snorted at finding he was right. Stefan was not kidding when he said that this was falling into place far better than he could have imagined. Aro knew of Stefan's involvement, or thought he did, and when he showed up to find the scents of the Cullen coven so fresh after the Americans vanished, he would naturally assume that they played a part as well. It was perfect, Vladimir would give him that.

It took him a moment, but Carlisle was able to find his voice to speak his peace, "We had nothing to do with it. It was unfortunate timing on our part, nothing more."

Removing his hand from Bella's mouth, he placed his chin in his palm, "While we know that, he will not if you are not here. I can spin whatever tale I want and involve you in any way I choose. But, were you not involved with my mate prior to this? I do believe he would enjoy knowing that as well." Tisking and looking thoughtful, "What is that saying? Oh yes, damned if you do, damned if you don't. You know as well as I that Aro will not touch me to find out if I am lying or not. He will take one look at my mate and have his suspicions confirmed that I was involved in some way and he won't have a choice but to believe whatever I say. He knows I do not fear him or his fucked up brand of justice and so would have no reason to lie. Looks like you're fucked either way, hmm?"

Looking to his mate when she choked on her laughter, "It is like I told you Isabella, everyone gets what they deserve in the end. However, sometimes you have to help karma along."

A horrified look settled on Carlisle's face as Stefan's words rumbled around in his head. He knew that the Romanian wasn't joking and there was nothing that just came out of his mouth that wasn't true. Aro despised Stefan with every fiber of his being and would sooner chew off his hand than touch him being forced to take Stefan's words at face value. Even if Stefan told Aro the truth, that his family had nothing to do with Bella or her classmates, he wouldn't be lying if he told Aro that Edward had a relationship with a human and didn't kill her after the breakup. Aro tolerated how closely he and his family lived to humans only because they never got overly involved with them. If he found out the truth, Edward was a goner and there would be nothing he could do to save him.

Blinking at someone he had considered a friend, "Why are you doing this?"

Locking his eyes on the vampire that designed to steal his mate, he kept his knowledge of that to himself and settled on, "Your coven member hurt my mate. I need no other reason than that."

His face taking on a glare, Carlisle growled slightly, "you would have my son sentenced to death because she is bitter about him breaking up with her?"

Bella blinked at that before slowly turning her head to look at him, eyes wide and astonished. Scratching her temple, she tried to make that make sense, but it was not going to happen. Scrunching up her face, "You think I'm bitter… over him breaking up with me?" Blinking again, her lip turned up showing her confusion to that. "How in the fuck did you come up with that?" Looking at Edward, she saw something in his eyes and smirked, "Oh, I get it. He didn't tell you the REAL story about that,did he?" Cocking her head to the side, "He didn't tell you that it was MY choice that ended the relationship, that because I refused to break plans I already had, he got pissed off and stormed out. I bet he also didn't tell you that HE was the one that started every single argument that we got in at school because I refused to repent and beg him to take me back. That he called me an ungrateful bitch because my family was more important to me than you." Sneering at Edward, "HE didn't break up with me, I told him to get the fuck out."

Growling, Edward snapped, "You most certainly did not."

Tisking, "Yeah, you're right. I said 'don't let the door hit ya, where the good lord split ya'. News flash brainiac, it means the same damn thing." Looking at Carlisle, she raised a brow, "So really, who's the bitter one here?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Edward tense and look like he was ready to pounce on her. The way she saw it, if he attacked her, Stefan wouldn't stop her from defending herself. Smiling in a way that had Stefan's dick standing at attention, she taunted, "Oh was he not supposed to know that you're a whiny little bitch? My bad, but pretty sure he already knew that."

Before Carlisle could stop him, Edward snarled and darted forward, fully intending on removing her head from her body.

Face taking on that demonic smile again, Bella shot off Stefan's chair, using the position of her feet for added leverage and shot right for him. Using her newborn reflexes to her advantage, she twirled out of his reach and landed a solid foot into the center of his shoulder blades sending Edward face first into the stone floor. Taking up a fighting stance, she waited for him to recover and try again. When he went after her again, she was ready with a right hook sending him spiraling again. Smiling at him, "Come on ya pussy, hit me already. This is just pathetic."

Pushing himself to his hands and knees, he snarled before launching himself at her again making her giggle. When he was close to her, she jumped up landing a roundhouse to the side of his face, cracking his flesh under the force. Landing lightly, she snickered, "Which one of us is the newborn again, ya Jackass? God you suck."

Holding the side of his face, he barred his teeth and right as he was about to try again, Stefan stood from his seat and shouted, "Enough!"

Pouting, she turned to look at him and his dark face. "Awe, come on man. I was having fun."

Looking far less amused than she was, he crooked a finger at her, his face daring her to disobey him. Sighing, Bella's shoulders slouched and she turned to glare at Edward as Carlisle helped him hold his face so it would heal properly. "Good going you asshat. You got me in trouble fucker."

Moving to the pissed off vampire, she paused when he grabbed her arm and lowered his head to whisper in her ear, "I will deal with you later, dragoste, of that you can be certain." Gulping at the dark promise in his voice, she sat in his seat as he directed her. Crossing her arms and legs, she glared at Edward again for putting her on Stefan's bad side. That was a place she knew she didn't want to be and because of him, that was where she was. It just went to further prove her point that Edward was a virus that destroyed everything he came into contact with and needed to be deleted, permanently.

Sensing the tension in her, Vladimir took it upon himself to enlighten her of the situation. Leaning over to speak in her ear, "Worry not Tânără, he is not angry with you."

Looking at him from the corner of her eye, "you could have fooled me. He sounded pissed."

Chuckling at her, "trust me, he's not. You're too young yet to tell the difference in scent. You'll learn." Feeling there was nothing more to say and she would either believe him or not, he moved back to settle in his seat and watch the show as it promised to be quite entertaining.

Stefan was torn between being incredibly pissed off and so turned on at his mate's display that he didn't know if he should kill the bastard that attacked her or throw her on the floor and fuck her in front of anyone that happened to be present. He was unaware that she knew how to fight, figuring that even if she did, that knowledge was lost to the change after she attacked him as a newborn would when she first awoke. After seeing her face off with the little Cullen, he was lead to assume that she was just too pissed off when attacking him she wasn't thinking of anything but doing damage to him, where here she was in complete control of her actions. It was something he would figure out later however.

Glaring at Carlisle, he crossed his arms, his voice dark and full of threat. "Well, what have you to say in defense of your 'son's' actions here Cullen? Did you not raise him well enough to know better than to attack a female? Disgraceful."

Closing his eyes and growling under his breath at the not so subtle jab, he turned to look at the pissed off male. "She is unharmed while he will forever be reminded of his error. Is that not enough for you?"

Stefan snorted, "Hardly. He had no way of knowing she was capable of defending herself before he chose to attack. For all he knew, she was a normal newborn that wouldn't have stood a chance in hell against one over one hundred years her senior."

Bella spoke before she could stop herself, but Vladimir was ready. When she began to sputter, he reached over and covered her mouth before she could get anything out. Stefan might not be angry with her now, but if she was not careful, that could easily change. Vladimir was aware that Stefan would never purposely hurt her, but he knew she wouldn't understand how a male disciplines a wayward mate if it is called for. When she glanced at him with a raised brow, he simply shook his head and brought a finger up to his lips, hopefully conveying to her to stay silent for the time being. When he felt her press her lips together, he released her, giving her a meaningful look before turning back to Stefan.

Before anyone could say anything else, the rest of the Cullen coven, sans Jasper, appeared in the room, looking quite confused at the fact that Edward was on the floor with a crack in his face. Esme took a step forward and looked back and forth between her family and the Romanian Lord. When she was unable to piece it together, she inquired, "What happened? I thought you were getting Bella so we could go hunt."

As Carlisle was about to tell her everything was fine, Stefan beat him to it, "That one attacked my mate and she defended herself."

Rosalie snickered behind her hand as Esme gasped. "Edward, I thought I taught you better than that."

Edward huffed, not understanding why he was the one getting yelled at when she was the one that deserves it. "You weren't here, Esme, to hear the things she was saying."

She crossed her arms, "It doesn't matter what she said, I raised you to know better than to attack a lady."

Pointing at the so called lady, "That is no lady. She is nothing but a…"

Stefan cut him off, "I would watch your words currently. I will not stop her a third time." Turning to the female Cullen, "However, as I told Carlisle. What you choose to choke down is your choice, but my mate will not be subject to such. She will feed from our actual food source, period."

Carlisle turned back to him, a righteous tone to his voice, "shouldn't it be her choice on whether or not she wants to be a murderer."

Turning to look over his shoulder at his mate, he cocked a brow at her to hear her opinion on the matter. Bella looked at him before turning to Carlisle, "I'm alright with that."

Turning back to Carlisle, Stefan smirked, "There you have it."

Looking at Bella, Carlisle tried to plead with her, "You're better than that. Surely you don't like killing an innocent human."

She smiled, "Actually, I kill more than that one per feeding. On average I eat three and a half a meal." Licking her lips, "have you ever tasted fear Carlisle, really tasted it as it slides down your throat and settles in your stomach? Mmm, nothing better, kinda spicy."

Jaw nearly dropping at how easily she said that, "Your father is a police officer. What would he think if he knew that you killed humans?"

She shrugged, "Doesn't much matter, does it? It's not like he is ever going to find out about it. If he does, I know who to blame for that, won't I?"

Not believing his ears, he stuttered, "What happened to you? You're nothing like you used to be."

She snickered, "death tends to change a person it seems. However, what you know of me is only what I wanted you to know. Had any of you taken the time to get to know ME, Fuckward wouldn't have that nasty cut on his face because he would have known I knew how to fight. He also would have known better than to attempt to force his will on me and expect me to follow him like a lost little puppy." Turning to look at Edward, "I was never a lamb; more like the wolf in sheep's clothing. If you thought otherwise, you're even more stupid than I thought."

Alice stepped forward, her face drawn and sad. "You don't have to pretend anymore Bella. We still love you and want you to live with us."

Bella stood up and went to stand next to Stefan and slid her arm through his. He looked down at her and smiled slightly before twisting his arm and turning her so she was in front of him so he could wrap his arms around her and set his chin on the top of her head. Bella giggled a little before turning her attention back to the Cullen's. "What in god's name is wrong with you people and who the fuck is pretending?" shaking her head, "I swear, there is something wrong with you." Looking her in the eyes, "I despise you, every one of you. What in the fuck would make you think I would want to live with you, have my choices taken from me, have everything decided for me? Forced to choke down something that honestly just the thought of makes my stomach turn? I want to kill you, not play house with you. Let me say this in a way that I sincerely hope you can grasp, if you get within my reach, I will remove your head and shove it up your ass." Cocking her head to the side, she smiled a teeth flashing smile, "Kay?" looking to each of them in turn, "Any questions?" pausing a moment, "No?" she nodded, "Good." With that, she leaned her head back against Stefan's chest and gave them a cocky grin as Stefan tightened his grip on her.

Carlisle turned to Alice, a look of confusion on his face. He was promised another daughter and this was not in any way heading in that direction. Not only that, but if Bella couldn't be persuaded to come with them before Aro caught wind of the transgression against them, he was looking to lose a son as well. No, that was something that he wouldn't allow to happen. One way or another, this was going to be fixed and he didn't care if he had to break every law and rule to do it. He knew that Bella was mated to Stefan, the mark on her neck was testament to that and fucking with someone's mate was punishable by death, but he didn't care. He was not going to lose what he has worked so hard to create, no matter the consequences.

Looking at Edward, he formed a plan in his head to fix everything. If Edward challenged Stefan for rights to Bella and won, not only would it take care of the mating issue, but Bella would have no choice but to go with them and therefore, getting them out of trouble should Aro find out about the past relationship between Edward and Bella when she was a human. If he was going to lose his son anyways, he wanted Edward to at least have a chance to get out of this.

Alice gasped but before she could say a word, Carlisle got the words out. "Edward challenges you for mating rights to Bella."

Every set of eyes snapped to Carlisle, a wide range of emotions in the depths. This is what Jasper walked in on. Looking around the room, he pursed his lips, "Alright, what did I miss?"

Rose turned to him and shrugged, "Carlisle sentencing Edward to death."

Jasper nodded once, "Oh so nothing important then, good."

Stefan was actually shocked at the words that just came from Carlisle's mouth. It wasn't an unheard of thing to challenge someone for their mate, but this was just stupid. Cocking a brow at him, his face showing everyone his thoughts on the matter, "You're certain of this?"

Edward was so shocked that he was unable to stop Carlisle form saying it again. "Absolutely, should he win, Bella becomes his mate and you stay away from her and us."

All but giggling at the idiot, "Should he lose, he dies. You are aware of that part of the challenge, right?"

Edward looked horrified, but Carlisle once again spoke before anyone else could. "I am."

A dark smirk lifting Stefan's lips, a chuckle rumbling his chest going through his pissed off mate and setting her veins on fire. "Very well. I accept your challenge."

Eyes so wide everyone was sure they would pop out of his head, Edward turned to Carlisle, "Why would you do this? I can't even contest it because you're the leader of the coven. I don't want the little whore as my mate."

Bella glared at him but said nothing since Carlisle spoke first. "I'm sorry about this Edward, but it is the only way to fix everything."

Jaw dropping, Edward yelled, "Fix what? Nothing was wrong to the point that you needed to go that far. Take it back!"

A grim look overtook Carlisle's face as a triumphant one settled on Stefan's. "He cannot. The challenge was already accepted you sniveling idiot."

Whipping around to look at the older vampire, Edward tried to reason his way out of the situation that he was being forced into. "I forfeit. I don't want your mate."

Stefan cocked a brow, "is that so? You were so adamant before that she was yours." Then he shrugged. "It, however, matters very little as to what you want. My mate wants you dead and I am more inclined to give in to her wants than yours."

Bella crossed her arms and huffed slightly, "Yeah, but I wanted to be the one to kill him."

Dipping his head, Stefan nipped at the mark on her neck, relaxing her completely in his hold. "Hush Darling; Pouting, though adorable, is not needed." Looking over to Carlisle, but not removing his face from his mate's neck, "When shall the dance begin? Shall we say, sunset? I do have a mate to care for presently and a gentleman wouldn't want a lady to starve, now would one?"

Pursing his lips at the jab, Carlisle bit out, "of course not. But as a future member of my coven, she eats animals as any other would."

Stefan cocked a brow, "As a current member of mine, she eats whatever the fuck she wants. Instead of trying to make demands of anyone, perhaps you should be off spending what little time you have left with him, hmm? Because soon, you will not have the chance. Even in the unlikely event he beats me, he still must force the lady into submission and from the display earlier, I doubt he will be able."

Thinking as quickly as he could, Carlisle spoke again, "As there is currently a challenge in place for Isabella, she is allowed no contact with either participant. She has to stay with a neutral party until such time as a winner is named."

Cocking a brow at him, Stefan was less than amused. "You think to keep my mate from me?"

Squaring his shoulders, Carlisle nodded. "When you accepted the challenge for mating rights, she stopped being your mate and became a prize to win."

Growling at once again being referred to as an object, Bella snapped. "Excuse the fuck out of me? I am not a fucking prize and if you want to keep your fucking tongue, you won't call me that again. You know the pussy ass fucknut doesn't stand a chance in hell so now you're being a dick. Get the fuck over yourself and leave me the hell alone. No matter if there is a so called challenge in place this is still my fucking home and you will not, under any circumstances, tell me what the fuck to do."

Vladimir stood and moved to stand beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He thought an outside party confirming the restriction would calm her down. "Unfortunately, Carlisle is correct in what he says. Until Stefan wipes the floor with the other, you cannot have any contact with him." Turning to the now smirking vampire, he gave a flat look, "However, as your coven cannot be trusted and I am a blood relative to Stefan, it will be the Major that keeps an eye on her. He proved through earlier actions that he will both protect her and allow her freedom as well. If you cannot agree to that Cullen or the Major refuses, she will be placed under the protection of her sire."

Balking at that, "Stefan is her sire."

Vladimir shrugged, "Your point? Those are the rules of the challenge and always have been. Jasper is the only one here that can in any way be considered a neutral party. The sire is always the next in line if one cannot be found. If you are going to call a challenge, do be sure to know all the involving rules to it." Turning to Jasper, "What say you, Major?"

Sighing and crossing his arms, Jasper shook his head, "Truthfully? I don't want any part of this. I have seen this kind of shit go down before and also seen what happens to the 'neutral' party WHEN the mated vampire wins and I am really not in the mood currently to have a few limbs removed. That shit hurts."

Smirking, knowing that was what he was going to say, Vladimir turned to Carlisle, "There you have it. As there are no neutral parties present accepting of the position, Isabella goes under the protection of her sire. That is the way this works. Next time, think your idiocy through better."

Biting his tongue, Carlisle just glared at Jasper making him cock a brow. "Something wrong Carlisle? Because I know you're not looking at me like that. This shit was all you and, just as I wanted no part in stopping it before, I want no part of it now. Have you ever seen a vampire after a real fight with Dracula?" When nothing was said in response, Jasper snorted, "yeah, me neither."

*X*

Sitting in a chair, Stefan watched as Bella paced back and forth, ranting and raving about how stupid and fucked up the entire situation surrounding the challenge was. She was of the apparent opinion that it was retarded and also, she felt like a piece of meat being fought over by a pack of wolves. Not to mention that it was Edward, the stupid prick that she wouldn't piss on if he were on fire, that once again single-handedly swept in and fucked everything up. Stefan thought the show was both adorable and amusing, not holding back his laughter as she got really going. It wasn't until she started to get a little destructive that he stepped in to stop her from breaking something that he was particularly fond of.

Bella was so caught up in her monologue she didn't notice Stefan pass her so the yelp that came out when she bumped into him was in her mind fully justified. He was just standing there, arms crossed with an amused smile on his face, eyes bright with mirth.

Glaring at him and taking a step back, Bella crossed her arms and looked to the ground. "I can't believe that you're so calm and 'so what' about this. If you wouldn't have stopped me earlier, this wouldn't be an issue."

Stefan shrugged a shoulder, "I don't know why you're so upset over this." Reaching a hand out, he cupped her chin before tightening his thumb and finger behind her jaw bone and jerked her the last remaining foot to him. Since she was not expecting it, her eyes widened and she didn't have the reaction time to stop her body from slamming into his once again. He had her face turned up to look at him, and she was surprised to see his eyes as dark as they were.

She was not surprised however to feel the fire rush through her veins at the roughness with which he handled her. She never would have thought herself one to enjoy being manhandled. Actually, she thought it would piss her off to be treated like that, but she found that the rougher he was with her, the more she liked it. He never hurt her other than that once but that wasn't his fault and she knew that; plus she was more freaked out than hurt anyways so it really didn't count.

Her lips were parted slightly from the yelp and there was a moan right there, working to free itself from her throat if he loosened his grip just a molecule. He wasn't choking her or anything, she could break his hold if she really wanted to, but his grip was strong and firm, telling her without words to stay put. She was fully aware what he was doing at the moment. He was trying to distract her and she was more than a little pissed off that it was working.

When the scent of her arousal grew, Stefan bent his head down and got nose to nose with her, a slight growl to his voice when he spoke. Keeping his grip on her throat, he lifted a hand and twirled a piece of her hair around his finger as his voice took on a thoughtful tone even as his eyes darkened even more. "Perhaps, colegul meu f. mica, you need to be reminded of the fact you belong to me and no one stands a chance in hell of removing you from my side."

Not giving her a chance to respond, he jerked her lips to his with cracking force, biting his way in. This kiss was all teeth and tongue, him laying his claim to her mouth. She melted into him, only his grip on her throat and jaw keeping her upright. She still didn't fully understand why he had the effect on her he did, but she couldn't deny that he owned her fully. One touch from him and her brain took a vacation, her body taking over and running on auto.

Stefan was a vampire of opportunity and he would be the first to admit that. If one was presented, he never let it pass without taking full advantage. His mate being intoxicated by his touch was no different. While she was drunk on the power he held over her, he moved her backwards to their bed and pushed her down, removing his lips from hers as she fell.

There was a predatory look to his face and eyes when Bella opened hers. He was not gentle when he removed her sweat pants or when he grabbed the front of her tank top and devested her of it as well. As she lay bare to his eyes, a possessive gleam sparked in the depths and took on the look of a predator and elevated to that of a demon, the heat rising to such a degree that the fires of hell would have been a welcome reprieve from the burn she felt.

Stefan's eyes raked over the flawless body of his mate, his mouth filling with venom as it watered for a taste of the offering that lay before him. Every inch from hair to toes was his; his to touch, his to taste, his to mark as he saw fit. And he would mark it too. If he had to literally bite every millimeter of the perfect flesh before him to prove to every last son of a bitch on the planet that this female was his, he had no issue with that. Scars were something, in his opinion, that only elevated the vampire in the eyes of others. They were a sign of superiority, that the vampire that wore them was a survivor, a threat not to be fucked with. While as a female, scars were not a normal thing to encounter, they did tend to make others stand offish, something he could see no downfall with. He didn't want anyone sniffing around his mate's skirt. He didn't want anyone anywhere NEAR her, period. And while he was positive that his colegul meu f. mica would probably have something to say on the matter, he didn't give a shit. She was his and that meant that when it came to her, his word and wants were law, the only and final say on the topic. She could bitch, moan and complain all she wanted but at the end of the day, it was his way and that was all there was to it. At the end of the day, he was the male, the dominant vampire and she just had to deal with it. He didn't truly relish the idea of hurting her, but sometimes pain is a necessity.

Bella watched as Stefan's eyes danced and wondered for a moment what was going through his head, but that thought process skipped out on her the moment he knelt on the bed and ran his tongue up the inside of her thigh. Eyes slamming closed, her head was tossed back and a moan left her lips. Opening her eyes when she felt a hand cover her mouth, she looked into the steely black eyes that were inches from hers. Startled slightly when she saw even the whites of his eyes were darker than the midnight sky. There was no color to them at all and, even as it lit a slight unexplainable fear in her at the sight, it did nothing to douse the fire that roared hotter in her at the sight either.

Stefan looked in his mate's eyes, all the more turned on by the emotions that ran rampant in the inky depths. Call him a sick bastard but her slight fear made him that much crazier. It was a male vampire thing, don't judge. Smirking wide enough to show off his teeth, he tisked quietly before whispering to her, "You must stay quiet my love. This time, your sounds are only for me."

Again, not waiting for a response, his mouth followed his nails down her chest, stopping to rake his teeth over both peaks of her breasts and the valley between. Kissing and nipping at the flesh of her tight stomach, he ventured lower, going off course slightly to the dip in her hip. Grabbing the opposite leg and tossing it over his shoulder, he nipped and sucked at the same spot and driving Bella up the mountain and slightly insane. He hadn't done this to her before and the feel of his mouth so close to her core was maddening.

Giving a quick glance up at the face of his mate, there was a barely there growl of warning before his teeth sliced through her skin at the same time his perfectly timed fingers pinched and twisted her clit sending her over the edge but no sound came from her. This mixture of pleasure and pain was so far over and beyond the last that the poor girl didn't even know what kind of sound to make, instead throwing her head back and her mouth falling open in a silent scream.

Leaving his teeth in her hip a moment longer, just to make sure the mark scarred, he purred as her venom coated his tongue, still just as sweet as her human blood was. When he removed his teeth, he looked to his handy work, giving it a long, lavishing lick to dispel the burn of mixing venom before turning his head to the other leg that was over his shoulder, stopping a moment to nuzzle his nose against her still throbbing clit gaining him a nearly silent gasp from his mate.

When he reached the inner thigh of her other leg, he once again nuzzled, nipped and licked at a certain spot before driving his teeth into her stone flesh. She was expecting it that time, but it didn't stop the pain from the bite and she was once again thrown off by the rush of pleasure that came with it when she felt the introduction of Stefan's venom into her veins. She was able to silence the shriek, but the moan was a little harder to keep quiet. She bit her tongue when she heard the man between her legs growl slightly at her but for the love of fuck, he HAD to understand that she was trying to be quiet, but that shit was nearly impossible.

Looking up at Bella with his teeth still embedded in her thigh, he snarled slightly, showing the tops of his teeth that were not in her skin. He knew that this was causing her pain, bites were not designed to tickle, but if she didn't stay silent then this was going to end before it even really began. There was one more place that HAD to be marked before this bullshit of a challenge commenced and, everyone be damned, it would be.

Once he removed his teeth and licked away the extra venom, he turned his attention to the glistening folds before his eyes. Licking his lips at the sight, he ran his tongue from bottom to top, closing his eyes and purring at the taste that coated his mouth. She was absolutely divine and he wondered a moment why he waited so long before indulging in such a treat. This was just as much for him as it was for her and he was going to enjoy it. This was not a normal action for him, the thought of drinking the very essence of a female actually turning his stomach choosing instead to simply fuck his previous partners before tossing them from his bed and never seeing them again. However, the longer he spent with his mouth attached to his mates most delicate area, the less inclined he was to release it.

Knowing how sensitive it still was but not really caring at the moment, he dug his fingers into the new mark on her hip, sucking the rush of fluid that came with it down like a baby with a bottle, growling against her at the noise she made. No, she wasn't overly loud, but he was positive that the stupid fucker that called a challenge for his mate was paying close attention to them at the moment. As he was breaking every rule that came with the ridiculous challenge and his mate was completely bare to the eyes of anyone that entered the room, he wanted to avoid that. Even just the sight of her in this state was only for his eyes and he was a possessive bastard and didn't share well with others.

Sliding a finger inside her, he curled it downward, finding what he was looking for on the first try. Her walls clamped down on his finger, surprising him slightly at the pressure that she squeezed it with, though he really shouldn't have been. She was a virgin when she was turned, never touched by anyone and would remain just as tight as she was the first time they did anything, for eternity.

Removing his finger when she settled and released him, he crawled up her body, kissing and nipping his way back to her lips. Pressing a light kiss to her lips that was extremely out of character for him, he held himself up by his knees and removed his shirt, Bella running her hands down his chest as it was revealed. She was so hot that the lines of her reality were blurred, the world before her eyes fuzzy and displaced as she opened her eyes slightly. Stefan's eyes still held that demonic undertone and she was slightly fearful of what he was about to do, but that, once again, did nothing to cool her venom as it rushed through her, that fear still giving her that unexplainable high and spurring her arousal to new heights.

As Stefan removed his pants and settled himself between his mate's legs, he swallowed the chuckle at the response when he brushed the mark on her inner thigh. There was a reason that he placed it where he did and that was it. No matter what he chose to do to her in the future, his body would touch the eternally sensitive flesh. It was true that the bite hurt to receive, but it would escalate the pleasure she received in future exploits. He might be an asshole and not show it in the overly sappy way some others do, but he did love his mate, just showed it in a different, more vampiric way.

He didn't shower her with gifts she didn't need or force on her things she didn't want. At any time he did anything she didn't want him to, all she had to do was tell him and he would stop, no questions asked. He wasn't that much of an ass, but there were things that came with a mating that she didn't know yet, but she seemed to understand most of where he was coming from and didn't push him past a certain point and an accidental injury to her would occur. He didn't want to hurt her, the very thought tightened his gut and made him feel ill, but again, like right now, it was unavoidable. The situation he found himself in was fucked up and forcing him to do things that he didn't necessarily want to do, he just had no problems marking his territory. It was an ingrained instinct to mark what was yours so he couldn't help it and was powerless to stop it.

Now, let's not mistake the fact that he was an admitted asshole with the fact that he liked rough sex, as did his mate. She might not like being bitten but, from her scent when his teeth broke her skin, she didn't hate it either. She was however confused by the rush it gave her and when he had the time, he would explain it to her. Females do not have the proper instinct to find their mate, that fell on the male to do, but it was HER instinct to mold to the male that marked her. Chances were, had she remained human, she wouldn't enjoy the rough treatment he handled her with; probably going for one that was far easier on her. However, as that was not the case, the world would never know if that was true or not. It also didn't matter. She was his mate and that was the only thing that did matter to him.

And he was about to prove to her and everyone, that she was undoubtedly and forever, his and his alone.

Moving from her lips, he skimmed his nose over her chin and to the column of her throat to her clavicle before kissing and nipping his way back up. Bella tilted her head back as she felt his assent making Stefan suppress a smirk as she did just as she was supposed to. As he reached the point that her head connected to her neck, he bit down; not enough to mark her but enough that Bella knew not to move. He was in perfect position to remove her head if he chose to and she was overcome with an all-encompassing fear that she was perfectly able to understand this time. What she didn't understand however, was WHY he was doing this. As she opened her mouth to ask him what the fuck, he growled at her and bit down a little harder. Again it was not enough to hurt her in anyway, but it got his point across that he was in charge and she needed to listen to him if she wanted to keep her head.

As the scent of her fear hit his nose, Stefan lifted his hips and, with one powerful stroke, entered her sheath until his hips were pressed to hers. He knew she was scared and didn't know what was going on, but this was about trust, nothing else. No vampire, no matter how old or what sex they are will not place their life in the hands of just anyone. *did you mean 'will not'? A female that is mated will seek the protection of the male that marked her, but will fight for herself if the male doesn't step up and defend her properly. That is why this was such a dangerous exercise. If the submissive partner doesn't fully trust the dominant one, they will lose their head. One false move on her part is all it will take. She had to trust him and not move or she was going to lose her head.

Keeping his teeth pressed to her throat, he began to move his hips. He kept his position in mind and adjusted his movement accordingly, not thrusting so hard that he would hurt her, but still, his strokes were forceful enough to show her that he was fully in control of himself and her safety was his priority, not his pleasure. This was just as delicate an exercise for him as it was for her. If he got overzealous and lost himself, he would eternally destroy any chance of her ever trusting him and, in turn, the bond that this creates between mates would never form and he would lose her, something that he certainly didn't want. If he accidentally decapitated her, she would fear him and probably attempt to kill him to erase the mating between them. As previously stated, he did love his mate and would really hate to have to kill her should she attempt to kill him.

As all these thoughts flew through his head, his body took over and the forcefulness of his strokes lessened, his hands slowly slid along her arms to her hands where his fingers laced with hers before lifting them above her head.

Bella, even with the fear that ran rampant through her due to his teeth so high on her throat, lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips, using him as leverage to lift and meet him on the down stroke. Her eyes slid closed and her back arched into him as his thigh and hip bone rubbed the marks on hers. Though she didn't know what the fuck was going on, her body seemed to and her head tilted back even more, the new position pressing her throat even harder against his teeth as a rush of some emotion shot through her.

Stefan purred deep in his throat when she shifted that little fraction of an inch. That was it, a few centimeters was all that changed but it showed him, pushing him closer to that oblivion that only she was apparently able to introduce him to. That tiny difference was a balm to his inner demon, proving to both of them that their mate trusted them nearly beyond a shadow of a doubt. Though this was leaps and bounds in the right direction, the true test of her trust in him was yet to come.

As her walls began to squeeze him tighter and tighter, his movements began to speed up and become harder against her. When she clamped down around him, her fingers dug into his hands and her back arched high, pressing her entire body to his. In response to this, he pulled out one last time, slammed back into her, losing himself to his own orgasm. His eyes closed as his jaw did, his teeth finally breaking skin and embedding in her throat with a menacing sounding snarl.

Bella stilled instantly, a startled gasp getting stuck behind Stefan's teeth. Her eyes flew open and went wide as the reality of the moment crashed down on her. If she ever worried about having use of her bladder or anything else, it went out the window when she didn't piss herself from fear. She was completely at the mercy of the man above her and he wasn't exactly known for that, now was he? A growl built up in her chest that beyond her control to stop. She was scared and that fucking hurt so it was understandable. She was silenced however by a darker and far scarier growl that rumbled from Stefan's chest into hers.

Stefan, running on instinct, bit down a little harder at the growl he heard from her. When she silenced herself, he relaxed his jaw, but didn't remove his teeth from her yet, and wouldn't until she relaxed. Her reactions were what would drive him at this point and until she showed him that she trusted that he wouldn't hurt her, he would continue to hold her as he was. The growl in his chest turned to a quiet purr that was designed to sooth and not upset mate. Now all he had to do was wait for her to settle.

It took her a few moments before she realized her head was still attached to her shoulders and the pain was gone. Closing her eyes as a soothing sound reached her ears she relaxed back into the bed, her fingers loosening their hold on Stefan's hands.

Once she was completely relaxed below him, Stefan slowly opened his mouth, his body still geared up to bite back down should she tense back up at the feel. When she didn't, he removed his teeth completely and began to lick and nuzzle at the mark that very few females lived to receive. Still buried in her sex, his hips once again began to move slowly as he lavished the mark with affection. She had done well in this and proud was an understated emotion to describe his feelings for her.

As he was making love to his mate, there was a quiet knock on the door making him growl a low, dangerous sound. Grabbing the sheet that was bunched up at the foot of the bed, he lifted it and covered his lower half, but tossed it over the top half of his mate to cover what he was not. No longer caring who the fuck knew he was enjoying his mate's body, he barked for them to enter.

Radu, who had just returned from fetching his lord and lady's meal and hearing about the challenge for her, opened the door and took one step inside before yelping and turning his back to the room and the pissed of vampire that was glaring daggers at him. He was not even the tiniest bit surprised to see the sight of his Lord breaking the rules of the challenge, but that didn't mean he wanted to see it. Covering his eyes even though he was not facing them, "Jesus fuck, my apologies. I didn't mean to intrude."

Growling in a way that promised pain, Stefan narrowed his eyes further, "You needed something?"

Shaking his head to dislodge the sight that would forever haunt him, Radu nodded. "Your dinners are here. Storage shed on the back of the grounds." Groaning when he once again saw his lord and lady in bed, he whined, "Fucking hell man, you couldn't have warned me?"

Chuckling a dark sound that sent fire through Bella's venom, "It is my chambers, is it not? Nor do I need to inform you of any of my actions." Turning back to his mate that would be blushing were she able, his voice turned amused, "Did you not hear him, my love?"

Pursing her lips to smother the snicker that was right there trying to get free, she giggled instead, "Sorry, I was a little distracted."

Smirking at her and the truth of that, he nodded before glancing at the door, "You still here, Radu? Have you nothing else to do?"

Jumping at his lord's voice, Radu darted out of the room, pausing only to close the door behind him before sprinting as fast as his legs would move away from his lord's chambers and the laughter that went on behind the door.

Once Stefan was sure his servant was gone, he glanced back to his mate before dipping his head down and kissing the tip of her nose, "You did well Isabella. I'm quite proud of you."

Looking away from him, she lifted a hand and ran it over the teeth marks in her throat. "That's great and all, but mind telling me what that was all about?"

Thrusting his hips hard into her and suppressing the smirk at the choked noise that she responded with, "That, my dear, was me marking my territory and proving to all that you are completely mine. Had you not been such, you wouldn't have a head currently. Vampires do not trust others of our kind for obvious reasons. Many times even mated couples do not have it between them. The simple fact that you have this proves that you trust me."

Covering the newest mark on her flesh, she glared lightly, but it held no heat. "You could have just asked if I did, I would have told you that."

Taking her wrist in his fingers, he uncovered his mark and bent to lick it. "Saying it and proving it are not the same thing in a race that actions are everything. You can say something till you're blue in the face and it wouldn't matter because words, my dear, do not carry any weight. You have to be able to back them up as well." running his nose lightly across the mark, "This says without words that you trust me not to hurt you and that your protection is more important to me than anything. I told you that we have but three instincts, mating being one of them. This, right here, says that you are held even above one of my basic needs." Lifting his head and tilting it to the side slightly, "Though it might not be the ideal way to prove such a thing since you can just as easily be harmed, the fact you were not speaks volumes to anyone that sees you. Well done."

Grinding hard against her and twisting his hips to rub across both marks on her lower body, she clenched around him again, his mouth covering hers to swallow her scream of his name and pulling him with her over the edge, his fingers raking over the mark on the side of her neck that marked her as his.

Once she settled again and melted into the bed, he removed himself from her, swallowing his groan of disappointment at the loss. Once he was out, he kissed her lightly again before sliding down her body and placing a nipping kiss to the mark on her hip before looking up at her. "Now, I know you're thirsty. Let's get dressed so we can eat. Sunset is close upon us and I myself haven't eaten in a few days."

Bella sighed as Stefan pulled her up and to her feet, holding onto her hips when her legs threatened to give out. Looking up at him through her lashes, "I thought you preferred to hunt for yourself."

He nodded as he slowly released her. "I do but as there are currently others here that wish to take you, I much prefer to keep you in my sight. As you cannot leave the grounds and hunt with me, this is just going to have to do. Once I kill the whelp and the rest of them leave, I will go on a proper hunt." Slowly, a smirk overcame his face making Bella's knees shake. Smelling the difference in his mate's scent, Stefan had to take a step back from her so as not to start something he didn't currently have the time to finish. "However, just because I cannot leave the grounds does not in any way mean I cannot hunt my meal as I choose. I will show you how I hunt my dinner and you will then fully understand what I meant about sometimes simply feeding is not near enough and violence is in order."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

About an hour later, a well fed Stefan walked with his blood soaked mate through the halls of the palace and back to their chambers to clean her up before he was set to kill a little bastard. As Bella was walking, she lifted her arms and looked at the still wet blood as it slid down her fingers and into her palms. Looking at Stefan out of the corner of her eyes and seeing him as pristine as ever with his hands clasped behind his back she pursed her lips. "How the fuck do you do that?"

Glancing down at her, he cocked a brow, "Do what darling?"

An astonished look over took her face as her jaw dropped, "You know damn well what I mean. I saw the way you killed those people and you don't have a drop of blood on you. How do you do that?"

Smiling at her, "You mean how do I not look like a horror movie after I eat?" She nodded making him chuckle. "Simple age and experience my love. I have been around long enough to know how to control my strength so as not to break skin unless I wish to. You'll learn, I promise. It just takes time to do so." Smirking at her, "I did notice however, that you were a little harder on the humans than any other time I have seen you feed." Then something sparked in his eyes that made Bella swoon without meaning to. "Something upsetting you I should know about?"

Turning her attention to the blood on her fingers as it was far less lightly to turn her on even more; she licked at them like a lollypop, lapping at the blood like a cat with her claws. Shaking her head in the negative, she shrugged, "Nothing you don't already know. I don't like this stupid bullshit of a challenge. I don't like feeling like a piece of meat."

Nodding at her, "I understand that Isabella, but there is nothing that can be done about it."

Growling and crossing her arms, she glared at the floor, "This is still stupid. Those fucking Cullen's are like cancer, infecting and fucking up everything that they come into contact with. The whole of them need to be eradicated."

Snorting his agreement, Stefan placed a hand on her back and rubbed it in a soothing manner. "You will hear no argument from me Pereche."

Slouching her shoulders, she turned to look up at Stefan, a rush of emotion flowing through her she couldn't name. When Stefan look down at her again, concern the dominant emotion on his face, she sighed, "I just, I don't…"

Stopping and pulling to one as well, Stefan lifted her chin with the side of his finger. "You don't what, Isabella?"

She just shrugged, "I don't know." Looking away from the piercing look in Stefan's eyes, she bit her lip and didn't continue, not knowing how to voice her thoughts. She didn't want to see him get hurt. She didn't want to lose him. She certainly didn't want to end up being stuck with the fucktard should he somehow win against Stefan. This was stupid and sent her venom boiling. She hated everyone in that coven, except maybe Jasper, and this did nothing but cement in her mind they all needed to die. She might not be happy with HOW she came to be where she was but she WAS happy with it for the most part and hated them all for trying to take it away from her like they took everything else. Stefan wasn't as bad as she first thought and she was nearly convinced that he really did care about her.

Her every need was met and then some and she knew that if she asked for something, Stefan would get it for her without any questions about it. He didn't force her to do anything she didn't want to and made sure she understood his actions should he do something that confused her, whereas Edward and the other Cullen's expected her to not only understand but be grateful of whatever it was they forced her to do.

She didn't understand this whole challenge thing at all, but really, she didn't want to. It was nothing but a stupid power move by Carlisle and only made her hate him more. Did the stupid prick truly not understand that if forced to spend even a moment with Fuckward, she would kill him in the most brutal way she could come up with at the time? No matter the reason she was there, she refused to stay put and if that meant Edward had to die, she was perfectly alright with that. More than that really, she would proudly end him if given half a chance to do so and scream it from the highest mountain that she was the one to kill Edward Cullen and not care in the slightest if there was negative fallout from it. If she was forced from Stefan's side, she didn't want to live anyways. Was that maybe a little much, she would admit that, but the point was, she was his, in every way, and no one would compare to him in her eyes. Basically, it was him or no one and she didn't care how that sounded.

Stefan watched as her thoughts flew through her mind. He saw a massive amount of emotions filter through the windows to her soul. When they filled with venom and she pulled her chin from his grip and pressed her face to his chest, he found himself awashed with a venomous anger. He really didn't like her upset and she was trying to cry at the moment, ruining his favorite shirt at the same time. He might not have actually known what she was so upset over but he had a really good guess. Wrapping his arms around her, he rubbed her back and kissed her blood soaked hair, promising an extremely painful death for the vampire that has made his mate cry twice in as many days. He wanted it known across the globe that no one hurt his mate and lived and starting with Edward fucking Cullen, he would prove it.

*X*

Sunset found a clean but subdued Bella standing in between Vladimir and Jasper on a rooftop overlooking the massive estate, Jasper to calm her down if needed and Vladimir because he was chosen by Bella's sire as her protector when he was busy and Carlisle allowed it because Jasper was there. She had no idea that the grounds were as big as they were since she was mostly kept close to the main palace and when she was human running around them, in the dark, she couldn't see that far. She knew that the drive had a gate, but had no clue that there was still a high wall surrounding the property.

Looking at Vladimir out of the corner of her eyes, she pursed her lips as she crossed her arms. "I still say this is complete bullshit."

Looking down at her, he nodded his agreement, "This is all the stupid bastard could think of to save the idiot. It would appear that Carlisle either discounts the truth to the stories about Stefan or he actually hates his so called son."

Turning to face him fully, her confusion was apparent, "Huh? What makes you say that?"

Vladimir pursed his lips in thought but Jasper had an answer at the ready. "Edward was going to die no matter what, but what Vladimir means is, if Carlisle actually cared about Edward then he would have just allowed him to be punished by Aro and not demolished by Stefan."

Blinking, she cocked her head to the side, "I'm sorry but I don't understand."

Looking at her, Jasper smiled slightly, "I know you don't so you have nothing to be sorry about. I'm sure by now you know that we have a set of laws in our world, and while Stefan doesn't give a damn about them, they are there." She nodded and Jasper crossed his arms. "Then you also know that the relationship between you and Eddy was technically forbidden." She nodded again so Jasper continued. "Well, I know you met Aro, the so called king of vampires. When a vampire breaks one of our laws, he hardly ever hears the full disclosure of the transgression, feeling that swift justice is better than allowing someone the chance to defend their actions. When Edward started to get close to you and not listen to us when we told him not to, he broke the law and any broken law is punishable by death. When I say death, I mean eternal death. With the punishment coming from Aro, it's a quick one and the suffering is mostly kept to a minimum. But this, this is going to be the most painful thing Edward will ever feel and his death is going to be drawn out to the point that Eddikins goes mad from before Stefan ever even gets started. There is a reason that Stefan Ce Mare is not fucked with and Edward is about to find out first hand why that is."

Looking back to the earth, Bella looked at Stefan with new eyes. She knew the legends of Dracula and what he did to people, but she wasn't sure how much she believed them after getting to know him a bit. Not looking away from him as he stood across from Edward, head held high and his arms crossed over his bare chest, she spoke to no one in particular, "So, the things that are said about him in books and stuff…"

Vladimir snorted, "Don't even hold a candle to his actual capabilities. He impaled others on spikes as a human and his lust for pain and suffering only grew after his change. The legend of Dracula is a watered down version of the truth. Stefan thrives off the pain and anguish of his victims, not giving them a moment reprieve until their throats bleed from the screams and they choke on what gives them life. He is a master of torture and can come up with something new on a moment's notice, changing his plans to suit the situation as it calls for it. When Carlisle Cullen challenged his mating, designing to take the one thing in the world that he chose for himself, he unleashed a monster that the world is not ready yet to deal with. I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if Stefan didn't stop after the total annihilation of the younger Cullen and turned his blood hazed sight on the one responsible for the situation in the first place."

Biting her lip, she glanced over her shoulder at Vladimir, "But, on the tiny chance that Edward somehow summons the grace of Satan and beats Stefan; what happens then? I don't understand this whole challenge thing."

Looking at his new venom cousin, he cocked his head to the side, "Why then, did you not ask Stefan to explain it to you?"

Looking off to the side, her voice dropped, "I didn't want to upset him more than he was, I guess."

"Ah, probably a wise move on your part. The way it works should the Cullen be victorious against Stefan, he would then attempt to force you to submit to him. The only way for him to break the mating between you and Stefan is…"

Bella jumped in thinking she knew the answer, "The death of one of us. Stefan told me that much."

Giving her an indulgent smile, Vladimir nodded, "Yes. There is that, but when he told you that, he didn't think someone was going to be stupid enough to challenge him for you. Edward is not allowed to kill Stefan in this for should he not be able to get you to submit, you will remain Stefan's mate. Should Cullen beat him, he must break the mating bond between you and Stefan by overriding Stefan's claim. The only way he has to do that is by biting over the mark that claimed you in the first place, replacing Stefan's venom with his own."

Gagging at the thought of Edward even touching her, let alone biting her like Stefan did, "And I am just supposed to let that shit go down?"

Chuckling, Jasper shook his head and snorted out, "Fuck no. You fight back and kick his ass. The moron has to force your submission because you are already someone else's mate. If you want to stay that way, you do whatever you have to to keep the prick's teeth out of your neck. Just remember, only the death of the challenger ends this crap. Edward has to die for you to remain Stefan's mate."

Nodding to him, she licked her lips, "What happens to Stefan if Edward wins over all?"

Jasper shrugged, "Nothing physical if that is your concern."

Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, "But something will happen to him?"

Not looking at her, "He'll lose his mate, Bells, something that no male vampire can go through and stay sane. The mating bond you two have is a strong one and to break it is going to drive his inner demon over an edge that none have ever come back from. He will either give up on life like Marcus has done, or he will kill anyone he crosses paths with."

Her face scrunching up in confusion, "Couldn't he just rechallenge Edward?"

Jasper shook his head, but Vladimir was the one to enlighten her, "The terms of the challenge prevent him from doing so. He agreed that should he lose, he stays away from the Cullen coven, and that would include you as the mate to a member, forced or not."

Crossing her arms, she growled low in her chest and looked up to the sky, "I'm gonna kill him."

Jasper and Vladimir looked at each other with wide eyes before looking back at the teeth marks on the column of her throat under her chin. Blinking at the surprise of seeing her marked there and not evidence of her being decapitated, Jasper spoke in an astonished voice, "What the hell is that?"

Dropping her head, she cocked it to the side, "What's what?"

Reaching a hand out, he took her chin in his thumb and forefinger and lifted her head again showing off the mark. Pointing to it, "That. What is that?"

Vladimir leaned in and took a good look at her throat and smirked at the lack of a line where her head should have been reattached. Looking at Jasper out of the corner of his eye, his voice full of amusement because he didn't think that Stefan knew the full extent of what he did when he bit her there. "That is a nullification of the current challenge for mating rights. She didn't fight him meaning the mating bond between them cannot be broken in any way, whatsoever."

Bella, with her chin still being held by Jasper, blinked and squeaked, "What?"

Smiling at her, knowing she didn't understand a damn thing about her race, elaborated for her. "That mark, the one that shows trust between mates, also forms an unbreakable bond between the two. This challenge is void because there is no way to break what was created. Only the death of one will ever free the other and since Stefan's death is forbidden in a mating challenge because you are already claimed by him and your bond cannot be broken, this is an unbelievable waste of time."

Stepping forward to the edge of the roof, he called out, "The challenge for mating rights to Miss. Isabella is nullified. She and Stefan share a bond that cannot be broken and as the challenger is not allowed to kill Stefan as stated in the rules, mating rights to her stay with the one that marked her first."

Carlisle snarled quietly at the words as they filtered through his head, the only and last chance to saving his son lost as they took root. Calling out, he inquired, "You can't do that. Unless Edward cannot…"

Smirking at him, "You're correct, I cannot…" Vladimir grabbed a startled Bella, pulled her to stand in front of him and lifted her chin, pointing out the mark under her chin to the blubbering idiot, "This however, can. She is mated fully and completely to Stefan Ce Mare, with a bond that cannot be broken by anything other than death. Face it Carlisle, you cannot win this day and you need to accept it."

Gawking at the teeth marks he could see perfectly well from where he was, he stuttered, "When did she get that? She didn't have it earlier."

Shrugging, Vladimir released Bella and crossed his arms, "The when of it matters very little. It is the simple fact she HAS it that matters. Stefan could have done it standing right in front of you and there would still be nothing you could do about it. Between both the sire connection and mating bond, she is forever his in any and every capacity within our world. Not even Aro, by his own laws, can do a damn thing about this any longer..." trailing off and pausing as that truth rang in his ears; Vladimir looked down at Stefan and cocked a brow at the visibly smug bastard that was smirking at him.

Stefan actually didn't know that that mark would nullify the challenge, only that he wanted her to have it. He also didn't know that there was nothing that could break the bond that was formed by giving it to her. That was not how he had intended to remove Aro from the equation, but it worked none the less, according to Vladimir that knew more about Aro's laws than he did because he cared more about them that Stefan ever would. Glancing at his mate and seeing the surprise still in her eyes at the announcement, he winked at her before turning his attention to the Cullen elder.

Smugness not fading, even as his face darkened to a glare that would have the devil pissing himself to get away, Stefan growled, "This changes nothing. Even with my mate out of the picture, you still tried to take her from me and that is something that will not be ignored. If you still think that the stupid bastard stands a chance, then let us commence. Let us not forget the fact that my mate still wants him dead."

Edward looked pleadingly at Carlisle to keep his mouth shut. He would much rather deal with Aro than Stefan and he felt since it was his life on the line, he felt he should have at least a little say in how it ends. Hearing in Carlisle's thoughts that he was about to say something that Edward was going to regret, Edward spoke without thinking the words through, "Since she is the one that wants to kill me, let her do it herself, unless she's too scared to face me on her own."

Bella cocked a brow at him and snorted at the attempt to goad her, but shrugged and jumped from her place on the roof and landed next to Stefan, settling into a perfect fighting stance, and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Let's go then fucker. Your pansy ass is mine."

Stefan looked down at his mate and shrugged, "I have no issues with this." Looking back at Edward, he smirked as he moved backwards, "Best of luck. After the spectacle earlier, I have no doubt you'll need it."

Carlisle look at the stance that Bella was in and just knew that this was a bad idea. She gave him a scar from the fight earlier and, from the look in her eyes, wanted to do more than that. Turning to Edward, "You're sure about this, Son?"

He shrugged, "This is the best way out of the fucked up situation you put me in. She's a newborn and a female. Before I was unfocused and upset, something that is not the case now. She has no chance of a repeat of before."

It wasn't so much her that Carlisle was concerned about. Edward didn't know the full extent of the bond between her and Stefan and the lengths that Stefan would go to, to insure her protection. Before, Carlisle was certain that Stefan would end it quickly; just wanting to get it over with and return to his mate and that would be that. If Edward so much as scratched her, Stefan would obliterate his son with no remorse or restraint. He didn't even have that kind of bond with Esme, not sure if she would fight him or not and not wanting to test it. Even with everyone he knew and met combined, this was the first time he had seen this mark with his own eyes and it not be accompanied with evidence of decapitation as well.

Sighing and closing his eyes, Carlisle dropped his head, chin to chest as the first growl sounded and the fight commence. Looking back up with forlorn eyes at this eldest, he said a silent goodbye in his thoughts to his first companion and real friend in this life.

Bella refused to be the first to attack, preferring to start on defense so she could judge what kind of fighting style her opponent had. She had always done this and it served her well in the past so she employed it now. Ducking and dodging every attack he threw at her, she figured out very quickly the fucker didn't know what the fuck he was doing. Smirking at that, she threw herself back into a hand spring and kicked him under the chin, giggling like a schoolgirl at the crack she heard when her foot connected with his flesh again.

The moment her foot touched ground, she shot forward again, using her enhanced speed to get on the other side of him. She overshot her stopping point though and had to readjust her attack. He had landed on the ground on the back of his head, his feet still in the air. Grabbing one, she twisted her body and used his forward momentum and hurled him over her shoulder and slammed him hard into the ground, face first. Leaping back and landing in a crouch, she waited for him to recover slightly before jumping up and out of his reach when he attempted to grab her.

Jasper was astonished at Bella's fighting ability having never seen an untrained newborn being able to fight so well. It had taken him months to get a female newborn up to par with her and she was only two days old. Cocking a brow when she did a breakfall to the right to avoid Edward's roundhouse, before swinging her leg out to take out his feet, he made plans to find out just what else the newborn was able to do with no training on how to do it and find out who taught her to fight like she was. The thing that really struck him as odd was she wasn't even thinking about it, the moves coming to her like a second nature. As a human that would have taken years to achieve and the girl could barely walk without injury before. Something was wrong with this picture and Jasper wanted to know what it was.

Stefan was once again mesmerized by the fluidness his mate moved with. She was like a waterfall, fluid and perfect, never stopping and a force to not under estimate. She moved as if she was dancing, her parries and twists to a beat you could nearly tap out with your foot. She was perfection, she was deadly, and she was turning him on without even knowing the power she wielded with her hips. As she once again flipped over and kicked her opponent in the head, he licked his lips, a purr sounding in his throat from the sight of his mate.

It was the purr she heard that pulled her attention just enough to allow Edward to get a hand on her. Starting at the sudden pain of his fingers digging in her bicep in a piss poor hold she could have easily broken herself with no effort at all, she yelped, not in pain really, but in surprise that the asshat was actually paying attention enough to catch her slip.

However, before she could break free and once again show the fucker that he was her bitch, the hand on her arm was gone and she jumped a little as she was suddenly and forcefully relocated. Blinking at the bare shoulder blades in front of her eyes, her jaw dropped and her pants became soaked at the sinister and pissed off growl that rumbled and seemed to consume her. Biting her lip, she slowly leaned to the side and peeked around Stefan's shoulder, eyes widening to huge, anime style eyes at the sight of the tiny little pieces that were once Edward. Jaw all but on the ground, she was left to wonder how in the fuck that was physically possible. There was so many pieces and there was such a tiny amount of time that passed between her seeing him and him vanishing to the other side of Stefan that Bella became fully convinced that Stefan could stop time of some such shit because that couldn't have been possible otherwise.

The only thing that was identifiable as Edward was his intact head, a head the looked even more surprised than she was. It was blinking, the confusion as to what the hell just happened clearly showing in the eyes.

Moving her eyes from the dismembered body up to the head that was still attached to his perfect set of shoulders, Bella took in the expression on Stefan's face and, very wisely, kept her questions to herself for the time being but fully intended to find out how the hell he did that and was in no way settling for 'experience' as an answer.

Stefan could not recall a time in his life, human or vampire, that he felt such a rush of negative and vengeful emotions. He was well aware that his mate was unharmed and could have just as easily dealt with the situation just fine on her own. That was not the issue he had. The issue he had was another male touched what was his, a male that not twenty minutes ago had designed to take his mate from him. He had no issues whatsoever with his mate wiping the floor with the little pest, but he never said he would stay out of it nor was it said he had to. He never intended for her to end the irritation, that was his pleasure alone, but if she wanted her own pound of flesh first, he wouldn't deny her. It was going to give her a half hour to have her fun before he stepped in and finished the foolishness and whisked his mate off to their chambers for 'alone time'. But things change, as he knew, and the moment that the little fucker actually TOUCHED her, his life was no longer measured in a noticeable time passing.

Glaring down at the little bastard, his lips pulled from his teeth, venom shining in the moonlight. With a deep growl to his voice that made it all the darker and, in Bella's opinion sexier, he spoke to Edward. "Did you know that even without your head, you can feel everything that happens to your body; that you are fully aware of everything that happens to it?" Pulling a zippo out of thin air, he flicked it and smirked at the widening of Edward's eyes. "That if I were to burn you piece by tiny piece, you will feel every bit of it so long as your head isn't crushed beneath my boot?" nodding to the side, "Ask your friend Jasper if you do not want to take my word on it. I have personally seen him do much the same thing to someone else decades ago."

Everyone looked to the empath that was still standing on the roof he started on, choosing to stay as far from the fray as he could. Shrugging at the feel of eyes on him, "I learned that from a rumor I heard about you and I wanted to test it out. I didn't know you were in the area until after I was halfway through the little son of a bitch. I didn't however take it quite as far as you did though. From what I heard, you put him back together after every time you burned a piece before ripping him apart and starting all over again."

Snickering at the memory, he shrugged a shoulder lightly, "The prick was in my territory and fucking with the way things ran. It had started out teaching him a lesson not to mess with me but in the end, it was far too entertaining to stop." Crouching down to get eye to eye with the head before him, he moved an arm and wrapped it around the leg of his still shell shocked mate. "And that poor bastard didn't do a thing to something that was actually all that important to me. Can you just imagine what I am going to do you for touching something that is?" Lowering his voice, pure amusement shining in his eyes at the fear that overtook Edward's eyes completely, "and there is not a person in this entire world that can save you from my imagination. Not even your precious Carlisle or your so called king can stop me from whatever I want to do to you. By Aro's laws, you do not touch the mate of another, and while I admit I don't give a lick of a fuck about Aro or his laws, this is one that I fully intend to take advantage of." Reaching out, Stefan poked Edward in the nose, his action far more playful than his voice or his words. "You should have listened to your daddy when he said it was a bad idea to call out the mate of one such as I, because it is widely known that I do not play fair."

Once the shock she felt tapered off and she settled back down, Bella then tensed hard at the sound that she heard come out of nowhere. It was loud and drowned out everything else around her. Lifting her hands and covering her ears, she whimpered Stefan's name, her eyes full of pain from the roar in her ears when he turned his head at the sound of pain in her voice.

Standing and turning his back on the scattered body parts, he placed his hands on Bella's shoulders, pulling her close to him and lowering his voice so as not to hurt her ears further, "What is it, dragii mei?"

Turning her head in the direction the noise was growing; she nodded to it and whimpered again, "Company."

He didn't need her to elaborate this time, being able to hear it on his own, though had she not pointed it out, he wouldn't have noticed it yet. Mother Nature, it seems, has taken a liking to him and sent a breeze through the field they were still standing in and with it, blew Aro's scent under his nose. Again, had he not been looking for a scent to accompany the sound, he would have missed it. Smirking, even as he pulled Bella flush to his chest, he chuckled low and turned his head to Carlisle, "It would seem that you as well have something to make up to the fates you poor bastard. Aro will be arriving within the hour and you couldn't be more fucked if you actually attempted to be."

Looking over his shoulder at the head of Edward, Stefan cocked his head to the side in thought, "Now this is quite the pickle. There are so many options to this situation that I do not know which one to choose. I could end you now and be done with it. I could throw you in my dungeon to deal with after I deal with Aro. I could wait until his arrival so he can watch me destroy something he so coveted. I could hand you off to him for the transgression that you already have against you and let him deal with you himself. Then there is the option that actually suits my every desire in this very interesting situation. I could put you back together, wait for Aro's arrival, tell him that you designed to steal my mate and still destroy something he wants so badly and have his blessing to do so since Aro will not break his own laws for fear of the fallout should someone find out about it. And with me involved, he would have no hope to keep that silent should he choose to spare you." Looking up at his astonished cousin, Stefan snorted and smirked, "See, I told you this was falling into place far better than I ever could have imagined."

Shaking his head at Stefan with his astonishment clear, Vladimir couldn't help but agree with him. What started out as a game to simply piss off the vampire king, Stefan gained a mate, killed countless humans, destroyed a well-known coven and endangered the lives of another. Then, let's not forget about the pawns that he had waiting for his call to ensure Aro didn't step a toe out of line while in their territory. The fucked up part of all this; he did it all within the laws of the vampire world. There were no trails to follow that would lead the human searches anywhere near the actual crime scene where the twenty missing humans died nor were the bodies dumped close to the established territory of another. They were scattered clear across the northern part of the world. There was one or two close to the royal city, but still far enough away that they couldn't be traced back to anyone.

Smirking at his cousin, Vladimir said nothing for a moment as he tried to come up with something that fit the current situation. When he found there was nothing to accurately express his thoughts, he simply bowed his head, "Once again, you have outdone yourself Cousin. This is one, I do believe, tops the last one by far." Then he snickered, "Though I doubt our dear king will be quite as impressed as I with you this go 'round."

Chuckling at his cousin's words, he picked up his still whimpering mate and turned to Carlisle. "I still do not know what I will do with him, but feel free to attempt to piece the prick back together again. Radu will be here to keep an eye on you so do not think to try and leave. Remember what I said before Cullen; should you not be here, Aro will only know what I choose to tell him in way of explaining your coven's scents. You know better than most that he never asked questions before the pieces fly. Should he think that you have had a hand aiding me, he will take no pause in destroying any of you. Since the little bitch never kills with his own hand, he will never know the actual truth should you leave." Turning away from the fuming vampire, he called over his shoulder, "The choice, however, is yours to make."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Stefan took Bella to their room and handed her the bottle of vodka as he went to put on a shirt and grab her something to change into to receive Aro. Looking at her over his shoulder, his brow drew at once again trying to figure out why her hearing was so painful. So long as she stayed well fed, her sight and smell were not quite so incapacitating as they were right after she woke, but her hearing, for whatever reason, refused to give her a moment's peace. It was proving to be quite helpful should someone try and enter his home without his knowledge, but the pain it caused his mate to hear it was not worth the forewarning. He was right when he said she would be a wonderful asset, but he didn't like it when she was in physical pain because of it.

It was something to look into, and quite soon at that. One of the vampires he had at the ready would probably know what was going on with her, or if not the reason, something that might help her at least. The little bastard just seemed to know what was going on and took great pleasure in spreading his knowledge around, even if it wasn't wanted so he didn't see any reason as to why he wouldn't if he was actually asked for once.

With that plan in place, he pulled his shirt on and went to Bella's wardrobe and just grabbed the first thing he touched. It didn't matter what she wore, she would still be perfect. Going to her, he tossed the clothes on the bed next to her before crouching down in front of her. From his new position, he was perfectly able to see the mark under her chin and smiled at it. He truly didn't know everything that came with it, but he was heartened to know that his întuneric zeita could never be taken from him. Reaching up and rubbing her temples lightly, he ducked his head to catch her eyes. When she opened her eyes and looked in his, he smiled slightly at her. "I need you to listen very carefully Bella."

Blinking slowly, a small smile lifted her lips and a spark of joy entered her eyes for a moment, "You called me Bella. You haven't called me that before."

Shrugging a light shoulder, "What's in a name, Darling?"

She snorted and winced at the sound, but shook her head and cocked a brow, "And quoting poetry? What the hell is wrong with you? What happened to the mean son of a bitch that I don't know what to expect with but can't help but be drawn to? I actually think I like him better than the sappy little bitch in front of me right now."

Dropping his head with a sigh, "I was under the impression that you preferred Bella to your full name. And really, what lady doesn't like poetry?"

Pointing to her chest, "This one was never really a fan of it. She prefers the darker side of things but no one ever took the time to get to know that about her. You would have done better quoting Poe over Shakespeare. But that's not really the point. What's with you, Stefan and what happened to the plotting fucker that lives to piss others off? You know the guy I'm talking about; the in your face, makes no apologies, asshole vampire that killed my friends because he was bored. I would like him back, if you don't mind."

Looking back up at her, there was something in his eyes, something that made her gut tightened in anticipation, but it was gone too fast for her to name and was replaced with the look she was beginning to miss. It was the one that told her in no uncertain terms that the dickhead that she was falling hard for was still there somewhere, but apparently needed a swift kick in the ass to surface again.

Slowly, a dark smirk lifted on Stefan's face, his eyes darkening to a near black with just a hint of red. Locking his eyes with hers, he leaned in close, the tip on his nose barely touching hers, his voice darkening and turning near mocking, "If I am understanding you correctly, you would rather spend your life with an asshole over a man that would take your opinions and listen to them?"

Bella, not in the least put off but a little turned on, leaned closer to him and narrowed her eyes, "had my opinion mattered, I wouldn't be a vampire in the first damn place. However, since I am and that cannot be changed, I would rather spend my life with a real man, not a sappy little bastard that spouts sonnets and poetry. I had thought I was the mate of the legendary Dracula, not his bitch of a twin. I did the sappy, puppy crap with my last BOYfriend. Is that what you think I wanted; another boy? Man, were you way off."

Bella was well aware that she was pushing the wrong fucker, but damn it, she wanted HER Stefan back, not this cutesy little bitch he apparently thought that she would be interested in. She wanted the prick back that never missed the opportunity to mock her, that made her blood boil and libido sing. This little bitch that quoted poetry was just not doing it for her and she would rather have a pissed off Stefan turned asshole than another Edward that thinks Claire De Lune was the shit. It was actually a little pathetic in her mind that the vampire that spreads fear like wild fire would ever quote Shakespeare and not under threat of death to do it. There was something so wrong about those famous words coming from the mouth of the definition of evil that left a bad taste in hers. Even as the ring of foot falls continued to grow and become overly painful to her already hurting head, she continued to stare down a vampire that she had dreamed about as a human.

Stefan's eyes continued to darken as she continued to goad him, her words like a whip, sharp and snappy. She was right of course, but in a few ways, very, very wrong. He was still every bit the asshole that she had first met, he was simply trying to calm it down a bit so she knew he wasn't ALWAYS like that. He was actually quite the ladies' man and that was because of the random spouts of poetry. He could make a female swoon with no effort, a softly spoken word, a caress of his finger and she would be falling all over herself to please him in anyways he chose to use her. Simply look at this past and that point is proven. One does not have over 300 concubines at any given time and not know what the fuck he was doing when it came to fairer sex.

His mate however, seemed to be even more of an anomaly than he first thought her to be. He already knew that she was perfect, he knew that the moment he saw her, but he had contributed her and her likeness of rougher treatment to the fact that she was mated to a rougher vampire. It would appear that he was wrong on that count. She a just a little fucking freak and that was all there was to it and he looked forward to getting to know the REAL Isabella over the coming centuries. It was going to prove to be quite the experience.

It wasn't until he was sure that she had just compared him to the sniveling little bastard that he finally lost the hold he had on his 'legendary' temper. Growling low in his chest, he snapped his teeth centimeters for her lips, silencing her quick, fast and in a hurry. Eyes narrowed and teeth bared, "If you ever compare me to that thing again, you will find out just how much pain a vampire can actually endure, am I understood, ISAbella? Do not mistake my caring for weakness for THAT is a mistake that even you will not be safe from. That sorry excuse for a vampire could not hope to hold a candle to even my off days. If you truly want the mean asshole from your human days…" Stefan's eyes sparked with what Bella could only describe as malice and a smirk that she remembered well lit his face, "I will be more than happy to oblige you. However, the blame for this can only rest on your shoulders. Do not ever say that I never showed you that there is more to myself than being a prick."

Bella gulped before she could stop herself. This was what she wanted but the look in Stefan's eyes was quickly making her want to change her mind and just deal with the sappy bastard he was a moment ago. She supposed he wasn't that bad after all. The choice was made already however and she knew it. She asked for the asshole she knew and so he was right, only she could be blamed for getting what she asked for. She knew that he wouldn't deny her anything, and this proved it; no matter how fucked up the request was, he would give her whatever she wanted.

Bella tried to lean back a bit but Stefan wasn't having it. She wanted him to be the prick he was to her when she was a human and that was EXACTLY what she was going to get. He wouldn't hurt her but he was going to use this asinine request of hers to prove an, apparently, needed point. Moving his hand from her temple, he wrapped his hand around the side of her neck, pressing his thumb hard against the bite mark under her chin. Smirking at her when her eyes went wide, he shook his head slowly but never took his eyes from hers. "I do not recall telling you, you could move. Now, this is what is going to happen. Listen closely because I will not repeat myself. You have ten minutes to shower, change and make yourself presentable for the coming guests. If you are even a second late, you will not enjoy the consequences." Leaning in as close as he could get to her, his lips brushing hers as he spoke, "Let's see if you truly prefer this to my softer side. If you thought that I was mean before, you have no idea what you have just brought down on your head."

Bella squeaked and as Stefan pressed harder to the mark his thumb was on and raised a brow at her, "Rule number one, dragă inimă, do not question me. You will do what you are told, when you are told, no questions asked. You now have nine and a half minutes. I suggest you get to it. I meant what I said about consequences."

Letting her neck go, he turned his head and watched the mad dash his mate made to the bathroom, smirking the entire time. He gave her till the end of the day to tell him to back off. Actually, he would be quite surprised if she even made it that long. By her scent he knew that she was already regretting her decision to call him out in the manner she did but she was nothing if not dedicated.

Looking at the clothes he had already grabbed, he shook his head, deciding to take this one step farther. Grabbing the jeans and tee shirt, he went back to her wardrobe and actually took a moment to consider the outfit he wanted her to wear. He could really piss her off and put her in a poofy ball gown but not even he was a fan of that crap. Looking at the other side, a smirk came to his face when his eyes fell on a pleated skirt. It was so short that it would actually show the bite mark to her inner thigh. Grabbing it, he then looked at the tops, selecting a halter that was low cut on top and would stop about two inches below her bust so it would show off her stomach and the bite to her hip.

Taking the clothing into the bathroom and setting them on the counter, he glanced at his watch before addressing her, "You are down to four minutes. You might want to hurry."

Yelping at the sound of his voice, Bella jumped and nearly lost her footing. With a freaked out as she was, she had to admit, this was far more exciting than she thought it was going to be. Getting the shampoo out of her hair, she shut the water off and got out of the tub and grabbed a towel. When she saw the clothes on the countertop, she gawked at the skirt before picking it and the shirt up only to have her fear come to light. The skirt was barely going to cover her and Stefan didn't give her any underwear. Giving the door a horrified look, she turned back to the scrap of cloth she was expected to wear, in front of others, with nothing to cover her should she bend over.

When she heard the irritated growl from the main room, she sighed and dried off and put on the clothes, horrified to find that skirt was shorter on her than she thought it was going to be. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to calm herself down so she didn't lose her temper over this, she left the bathroom and entered the main room to find Stefan looking at her with his arms crossed and a slight glare on his face. Swallowing hard, she darted over to the vanity and scrubbed at her hair with added force and speed to dry it before looking at the two hair ties and the ribbons on the table top. Pursing her lips at the idea of pigtails, she picked up the brush and set about doing her hair. Getting them in the two pigtails wasn't the problem, but she broke one of the ribbons as she was tying it. Looking at the two pieces of irritation, an idea struck. He didn't tell her how to put them in her hair so she decided to improvise. Pulling at the tie in her hair, she slid the two pieces through so they just dangled there and did the same thing with the other one.

Picking up the set of earrings, she slid them into her ears before giving herself a glance in the mirror. It was actually really cute. Standing up when she saw there was nothing left for her to put on, she turned to Stefan and held out her arms to tell him she was done not a full second before the watch on his wrist beeped saying her time was up. Letting out a breath and sagging slightly at avoiding whatever he had planned for her should she not have finished on time, she waited for him to do his inspection.

Stefan smirked at her as he did a once over to see the finished product. She looking stunning, but even he wasn't a fan of how short the skirt turned out to be once she put it on. But, he was going to leave her in it, as she was, just because. Twirling a finger, he tilted his head as she did a spin for him. The back of the skirt stopped just below the swell of her ass making bending over for her impossible lest she show everyone else what was only his to see. Oh, well. This is going to be quite an interesting venture. It was on her to stay covered and he was looking forward to seeing if she could do it in that. He did however make a mental note to only have her wear that for him when he was in a kinky kind of mood.

Nodding to her once she was facing him again, he walked up behind her and draped a thick black velvet choker around her neck and clasped it. This was not quite as intricate as the cross she wore before, but it was just as lovely looking on her. This choker boasted his personal crest as a charm. It was a way to show, without anyone getting too close to her, that she belonged to him. She was barely wearing any clothing and he didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea and thinking to touch what was solely his.

Looking at her in the mirror, "Perfect."

Biting her lip, she didn't think before opening her mouth. "It's a little short, don't you think?" Narrowing his eyes at her, Stefan gave her a swift smack on the ass, without the skirt in the way, making her yelp and spin around to face him, her eyes wide and hands holding her stinging rump. Mouth opening and closing with no sound but scattered squeaks, she was finally able to find her voice and it was full of shock, "Did you just spank me?"

He placed his hands on either side of her on the vanity top and bent to her level, looking her dead in the eye and trapping her in place. "Did you just question me?"

Stuttering like an idiot, she was stuck on the fact that fucker actually spanked her. The last time she experienced that she was like six; and if memory served, and it probably didn't at this point, she was sure she deserved it THEN, but now, the transgression was so not spank worthy. Not knowing what the fuck to do, she just stared at him, blinking as the shock she felt only grew as the knowledge that he really just spanked her settled in her mind. It didn't hurt really, but it sure as shit surprised the hell out of her. Huffing lightly, she again spoke without thinking of the consequences of it. "Why would you do that?"

Moving closer to her and bending forward so she was forced to bend backwards, he cocked a brow and growled slightly at her, "You're doing it again, dragă inimă. I highly suggest you shut up."

Balking at being told to shut up, again something that she had not experienced in a really long time, she glared at him, "No, you HIT me."

Chuckling deep in his throat, Stefan tisked, "I did no such thing. You broke a clearly stated rule and were punished accordingly. Think of this as a learning experience. I will not tolerate you talking back, Isabella. Something you would do well to keep in mind.

"Now, this is important as you will be in a room full of new vampires. If you so much as growl at anyone of them, you will be punished. If you speak out of turn, you will be punished. If you do anything that shows ANY level of disrespect to me or my house, you will be punished. You are a female and as such, you have a place to learn. That place is not, in any way, on par with or equal to a male, period. I will not allow them to disrespect or talk ill of you, don't worry about that, but that is for me to handle, not you. Consider yourself mute unless I say otherwise. It doesn't matter if they address you directly, you do not speak unless I say you can. Are you clear on the rules as I have told them to you?"

Glaring so darkly as he finished, Bella snapped. This was so far passed stupid that she was ready to beat the fuck out Stefan even knowing she didn't stand a chance in hell of actually being the victor. Barring her teeth and snarling, "You are out of your goddamn mind if you think for one second that I will EVER allow you to force me to be some 'seen but not heard' little bitch. That is the dumbest thing I have ever fucking heard."

Stefan so did love the fire his mate had, it never failed to make him hard enough to obliterate diamonds with his dick. However, she was the one that demanded he be the vampire that she was so enthralled with, so she had to deal with the ramifications of her choice. Slowly nuzzling her nose in a gentleness that belied his voice when he spoke, "Is that so? Remind me again who it was that didn't want a caring, sappy male in her life not fifteen minutes ago and demanded he returned to the vampire she remembered from her human life?"

Grunting as she fought off the effect he had her when he was so close, she astonished, "You weren't this much of a jerk."

Chuckling in a way that had Bella mortified at the wetness she felt slide down her leg, Stefan continued being just as gentile, even as his voice turned amused and mocking, "You were human and quite breakable then, not able to withstand my actual nature. Now, you can, you just don't like everything it entails. Be very careful in the future about what you wish for my love, because you will get EXACTLY what you request." Pulling back slightly and looking into her black eyes that didn't hold an ounce of anger any longer, he smirked at her. "This is what you asked for, Isabella, and now you have to deal with it. I will not ask a third time, do you understand the rules as I have told them to you?"

Bella just nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. She understood them perfectly, she just didn't like them. She had never held her tongue before and she wasn't positive she could do so now. To top it off, she was so incredibly turned on that she thought she was going to explode and so incredibly pissed off she was ready to implode. It was such a fucked up mix of emotions that she was left coming up short on how to deal with them.

Stefan knew she was pissed but he didn't care. This was the way it was going to be until she said she either couldn't, or didn't want, to deal with it any longer. Standing up to his full height and stepping back from her, he looked down his nose at her. "Wonderful. Now, when we get to the main hall you are to place your tight little ass in my seat and stay put unless otherwise told. Also, you will position yourself so that all of my marks are visible at all times. If you cover even one, I will replace it and I do not care who is present when I do." Reaching down, he raked his nails over the one on her inner thigh making Bella grab the top of the vanity when her knees buckled. Smiling in a way that was all too familiar to her, "And that includes this one. However, since you are not covered under the skirt, should that become necessary and anyone sees what is only mine to behold…"

Gulping at the not so subtle threat in his words, she nodded before he even finished his sentence, not really wanted to know what he was going to say.

Stepping back farther, Stefan pulled his phone out of his pocket. Pointing to the bed, "Have a seat, we will head downstairs in a few moments."

*X*

After Stefan made his calls and set everything in motion to finish his game, he took his mate down to the throne room and placed her in his lap instead of on the arm like he did the last time she was in there. She was sitting with her back ramrod straight and stiff as a board, her arms and legs crossed and a glare set firmly on her face as she looked anywhere but him. He was well aware that she was still fuming over the rules he placed on her but it didn't really matter. She completely ignored everyone present, including Vladimir when he greeted her, and continued to do so. Anyone that even attempted to gain her attention was given the cold shoulder, Stefan included. When he said something to her, she just glared at him before huffing and turning away again, refusing to dignify anything he said to her with a response.

The only words she uttered for the forty five minutes she sat there was the coming swarm of vampires were beginning the ascent up the mountain, and she only did that when she ignored a direct question and Stefan forced her to talk by digging his fingers into her outer thigh. There was however a dark undertone to the growl she spoke in that Stefan found most amusing.

Vladimir was keeping an eye on the young female the entire time she was in his presence and noticed that she tensed more and more as the seconds ticked by. He knew, just by looking at her, that she was going to snap, it was only a matter of time and when she did, there was going to be a lot of damage to clean up. She was only a newborn and control was not something one her young age was known for. Glancing over at Jasper, he could tell by the way he was focused on the young lady, he knew it as well. Leaning over to his cousin, he lowered his voice to a nonexistent degree knowing just how well the female could hear. "Stefan, I do not know what you did, but whatever it was you need to change it. I don't think you kept in mind the lady is a newborn that does not understand yet how the world works. You are going to be the responsible party when she finally snaps. Are you truly prepared to deal with that kind of situation and what it could entail should she not be able to be stopped?"

Looking at Vladimir out of the corner of his eye a moment, he then looked to his steadily increasingly pissed off mate and considered his cousin's words. She was quite tightly wound up at the moment. Turning back to his cousin and not bothering to lower his voice, "She'll be fine, don't worry about it. If it gets to that point, I will handle it. For now, let her stew. This is a situation of her own creation. All she needs to do is call it off and things will return to normal."

Cocking a brow at him, he turned to look at the lady with slightly wide eyes, "What could she possibly have done to piss herself off that much?"

Stefan shrugged, "If she wishes you to know, it is on her to tell you. I did absolutely nothing this time, believe it or not. I am simply giving into her wish."

Bella pursed her lips and closed her eyes at the words the fell from Stefan's lips. She knew this was her own fault but him pointing it out for all to hear was not helping her calm down. She was so incredibly pissed off already that she was this close to snapping and not care about the repercussions of it. She hated admitting she was wrong or couldn't handle something and this was no different. She wasn't necessarily fine with it back in her and Stefan's room, but it only got worse when she was in the presence of the fucking Cullen's. She already didn't like them and the looks she was given when they saw the outfit she was in didn't help nor were the comments that she could hear bounce around them that were too quiet for Stefan to catch. If Alice said just one more thing, she would come up out of her seat and relieve her of the capability to speak at all. She was positive that she could do plenty of damage to the deranged pixy before she was stopped, or at least enough to release a little of her pent up anger.

Sighing hard with a growl rumbling in her chest, she said under her breath that she didn't like this and wanted it to end.

Hearing her perfectly well but wanting to make sure she learned the lesson he was trying to teach her, Stefan turned to her and cocked a brow, "What did you say, Darling? I didn't catch that."

Growling louder, she turned and glared hard enough that Stefan actually had to suppress a shudder. Her voice was dark and menacing, but she did repeat herself, "I don't like this."

Before the words were even finished being uttered, she was covered by Stefan's cloak and sitting on the arm of his throne, the distance between them sorely needed at the moment. He had his arm lightly draped around her back looking up at her with that look that she both hated to see, but couldn't get enough of. "Let this be a lesson to you, my love. Learn from it then let it go."

Glaring even harder, Bella bit out, "You are such a jackass and I am pretty sure I hate you."

Smiling at her, he chuckled as he heard the front door opening. "No you don't, and you know it. Just remember in the future that I will not deny your wishes so you must be careful what it is you ask of me."

Glancing at the doors as she heard a mass of voices coming closer, "And those fucked up rules you gave me?"

Waving his hand in a dismissive way, Stefan tisked, "ignore them. You are the lady of the house and always have been, always will be. You have just as much pull here as Vladimir, but it is I that has final say as the actual head of the coven. If I tell you to do something, I do expect it done as I would anyone else. Is that fair enough for you?"

Bella looked over to Vladimir who shrugged, "that is the way it is in our house. Stefan is the leader of the coven and as such, his word is law."

Bella shrugged and crossed her arms, "works for me as long as the retarded 'seen but not heard' bullshit is pulled out of the equation."

Smiling at her again, Stefan squeezed her thigh, "But of course. Though there will be times that you will be expected to behave, I don't think that this is one of them. Though you cannot attack unless attacked first, you are far too entertaining to be silenced."

Not knowing if that was a compliment or insult, she settled on another glare, but it was far less heated than the last.

The Cullen coven was standing off to the side; Carlisle at the ready to clear his family of any involvement in this sordid game of Stefan's and try to save his son, though he was still at a loss as to how to do that. More than that, he now had to try and figure out a way to save his own ass. He was the one that called the challenge in an attempt to take Stefan's mate from him and bring another vampire around to his lifestyle. If he let Aro touch him to clear his family in one way, he was going to get in trouble in another. To make it even more fucked up on his part, the challenge was called, not because Edward really wanted Stefan's mate, but because she didn't fall for the original plot and go hunting with them so he could force her to join his coven. He glared at Stefan when he realized just how right he was before when he said that he was fucked either way. His choices were to save the majority, or save himself. Damn if he did, damned if he didn't.

Alice was frantically searching the future for a way out of this mess her family found themselves in, but so far, nothing ended with all of them leaving short of Bella exonerating them of the crimes against her. Knowing just how much the girl hated them, the chances of that were zilch. The only one of them she didn't want dead was Jasper and he was already safe from punishment because he had no contact with her before her change and wasn't present when they attempted to sway her to leave Stefan. He came in after the challenge was issued and even then refused to have any part of it.

She also knew that Jasper wasn't going to lift a finger to help them either. He never marked her as his mate and the only reason he was even still with the family was because he was bored of the nomadic life, not because he actually cared about any of them. He didn't even wear the Cullen crest or take part in the perks being a Cullen granted you, never had. He had his own small coven that consisted of two others that he was actually the head of making anything that Carlisle told him he had to nothing but a choice on Jasper's part. As the leader of a different coven, Jasper was on equal footing with Carlisle, so even living under the same roof, Jasper didn't actually have to listen to him if he didn't want to.

As the future flashed before her eyes, she looked at the man she loved with hurt and heartbreak in her eyes. He was going to walk away from her and everything she worked so hard to keep. He was going to reunite with his own coven and not take her with him, even after everything she did for him, he was going to walk away and not even look back. She knew that eventually everything she did, all the manipulation she did to him was going to come back and bite her in the ass, but it wasn't supposed to happen yet. It wasn't supposed to happen for a long time and by then, she was positive that she was going to be granted with a way to prevent it again.

She crossed her arms and looked to the floor, giving herself a mental kick in the ass for not just leaving, like she knew she should have, before it was too late to run.

Jasper looked to the door with a cocked brow when an emotional signature he would know anywhere slammed into him. He was expecting Aro and his little posse to be the arriving vampires, but that combination wasn't even close to anything that fake fuck was capable of. Looking over to Stefan and Vladimir quickly, his head snapped to the doors when they were thrown open and a voice that he hadn't heard in months, even longer than that in person, bounced off the walls. "Honey, I'm home! Whens dinner, I'm fucking starved."

Bella's head shot up and to the doors when she recognized the southern twang to the voice. Pure joy lit up her face as she leapt of Stefan's lap and darted to the vampire that was smirking at her with his arms open. Pouncing on him as the size of her outfit and lack of covering escaped her in her excitement; her elated voice rang in the air as she laughed, "PETER!"

Laughing right along with her, Peter picked her up and twirled her on point. After a few spins, he pulled his head back and smiled at her, "Well now, take look at you, Sugar. You're a lot bigger than I remember." Chuckling as she giggled and squeezed his neck for all she was worth, he pulled her arms a bit, "Stronger too. You can bench what now, two, three houses?"

Giggling again as she pulled back, she bounced on her toes, "Where's Char?"

An amused female voice sounded behind Peter making Bella look over his shoulder. "Right here cutie pie."

Squealing like a schoolgirl, she pulled away from Peter and shoved him out of her way, making him grunt as he hit the wall before she went and hugged the female she hadn't seen in years. As the girls hugged, Bella astonished, "I missed you so much!"

Patting her back in a motherly way, Char kissed her forehead, "I missed you too, little lady. It really has been a long time, hasn't it?"

Turning away from Char when a throat was cleared, Bella turned to Stefan with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. "Stefan, Char was my babysitter when I was little. This is great! Did you know?"

Smiling at the happiness in his mate, he shook his head, "I did not, but I'm glad you're happy Darling."

Peter brushed the dust from the now cracked wall off his shirt and reached over and flicked at one of the pigtails in Bella's hair. "Had to make sure you didn't become vampire feed before it was time, now didn't we? I tell ya Sugar, you attract the strangest shit. You gave me one hell of a workout for a few months there when you were seven. Thought I was gonna haveta lock your little ass up and stand guard over you till you grew out of that fucked up phase."

Jasper cocked a brow at his coven brother before he snorted, "You were a little girl's babysitter, Peter?"

Looking affronted at the mocking tone, Peter retaliated in kind. "I will have you know, Major, that this little lady was Char's charge, not mine. Also, you should have seen it, Man. It was incredible that the little shit survived as long as she did without vampire protection. I could not believe the amount of crap I had to protect her from." Then his eyes widened and his voice turned elated, "It was a fucken blast. Hands down, the most fun I have ever had in my life."

Blinking at him, he was hit hard with understanding. "You're the one that taught her how to fight."

Crossing his arms, Peter shrugged before smirking, "Well, she lived in the south so I couldn't be there all the damn time. She had to know how to defend herself, did she not? However, she had to settle for me since you were off playing house with a group of fucked up little fairies. She learned well though, don't you agree?"

Jasper very much agreed that she learned well after seeing her in action. He knew he recognized the fighting style but it had been so long since the last mock battle with Peter that it slipped his mind. Plus, whoever would have thought that Peter, of all people, would take the time to teach a human child to defend herself, much less actually fight properly? It was like something out of the twilight zone or some such bullshit that made as little sense.

Peter smirked at Jasper's silence before turning to Stefan, "Well, now that's done, back to the original question. Whens dinner? I wasn't kidding when I said I was starved."

Stefan rolled his eyes at the idiot, Bella giggled, Jasper dropped his face into his palm and Char did as she always did when her husband was being an ass, She smacked him upside the back of the head turning Bella's giggles into full blown laughter as all the times she could remember seeing that happen flashed before her eyes.

Smiling at the little lady that he remembered being quite the little spitfire; Peter cocked his head to the side. "Tell me Sugar, how's the hearing? Getting any easier for you?"

Sighing, Bella crossed her arms and shrugged, "It really all depends I guess. Right after I eat seems to be the only time that it is under any amount of control, but within, like, twenty minutes maybe, it gets super sensitive again and I swear I can hear a maggot fart ten miles away." licking her lips and jutting out a hip, she cocked her head to the side, "If I am really distracted, it sorta settles, but if there are really loud noises close to me, there is the horrible ring that hurts something fierce and drowns out everything else to the point that I can't even hear someone talk over it." Looking up at him, her eyes held a pleading edge to them, "You always just seemed to know shit. So do you have any idea what's wrong?"

Smiling at her again, he threw an arm over her shoulders and pulled her along with him back towards Stefan. "There is nothing wrong, Sugar. That would be your gift showing itself. While normally it takes a while for them to surface, yours is a little different. You have always had this uncanny, fucked up ability to draw danger to you from all corners of the fucking globe." Looking down at her with a flat look, his voice was just as deadpanned, "Trust me on that, Sugar, you do. Anyways, your hearing is an early warning system, so to speak. Tell me, can you hear, say, animals running around at any given time or is it just something that could possibly harm you that you hear?"

Eyes widening to huge size, her head snapped to Stefan quickly before looking back at Peter. "There was a wolf that howled that hurt my ears right after I woke up, but other than that, the wildlife doesn't really bother me." Pursing her lips as her brow drew down, "Also, my sight and sense of smell were really sensitive too."

Nodding as he handed her off to Stefan, Peter took that and ran with it. "Alright, let's start with the wolf. Right before your change, did you have a nasty encounter with one that left a lasting impression on you?"

Biting her lip as she shifted through the foggy human memories she still has access to, Bella nodded slowly, "Yes, three or four days prior to it, I think it was." Looking up at Stefan, "I know you were there somewhere, does that sound right? Everything is getting really hard to recall."

Pulling her to sit on his lap, Stefan wrapped his cloak over her thighs as he nodded. "You got that right. It was the first night of your little trot across my territory. You were more concerned with the wolf population in the area than tending to the poor horse you stole."

Waving her hand, "Yeah, yeah, like you really cared if the thing died or not. All you cared about was the stupid game you were playing." Shrugging off her comment making Bella glare at him, she turned back to Peter, "But I was already changed when I heard that wolf, it wasn't a danger to me anymore."

Nodding, Peter pointed at her, "True, but had you fed yet when you heard it?" Not understanding why that mattered, she still shook her head in the negative since she was on her way to eat but hadn't done it yet. Seeing her confusion, he enlightened her. "You might have been changed but until that first feeding, that first taste of blood, your mind was fighting against the idea that you were not a human any longer so to you, that wolf was just as much a threat as it always was. Do you understand now?"

Nodding a little, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "So I can hear things that could cause problems that no one else can because as a human I was…"

Peter cut her off with a snort, "A god damn danger magnet, yes, you got it. Every one of your senses are heightened and designed for your protection. You heard Aro and his bunch of little fucknuts because you don't know what they have in mind as far the reason for the visit but you didn't hear me and Char because we have no intention of harming you."

Nodding to the coven against the far wall, "You could hear every word spoken by those three little bitches because they were forming plots and shit that were designed to force you to go against the one that claimed you. That was something you needed to hear because a lady going against him is extremely painful. But you COULDN'T hear the other three because they had no part in the plots whatsoever."

Letting everything Peter said settle in her mind, she slowly nodded again, "Alright, I think I get it, but what about Jasper?"

Cocking a brow at her, Peter glanced over to his sire. "What about him? I highly doubt the Major would have had a part in something that fucking stupid. Plus, I don't group him in with them. He is the leader of his own coven, not a member of that one. Also, I have it on pretty good authority that Jazz likes you so I really don't think that he would wish you harm. That, and Lord Stefan would kick the ever living shit out him should he try."

Turning back to Bella after smirking at Jasper's growl, he gave her a very serious look. "I am going to warn you now Bells. If you hear, see or smell anything or anyone that you cannot immediately identify, tell someone. If they look at you funny, force them to listen to you because shit is going to hit the fan if you sense it and they can't."

Turning his eyes to Stefan, he was just as serious, "Believe it or not, even her sense of touch is heightened to a threat. Take the fight with the fucktard earlier. The hold he had on her shouldn't have hurt as it did, it shouldn't have hurt at all. If someone that wants to hurt her gets their hands on her, she WILL get hurt and it will not take much. That is why her senses are as sensitive as they are. They are a preventive measure so she has both the time and the ability to seek protection if it is necessary. And chances are, if she senses something you can't, that's a likely possibility."

Gulping at his words, Bella shuddered hard, not liking the implications Peter was stressing. Looking up at Stefan and seeing his eyes had darkened to near black as Peter finished, she didn't find the reassurance she was looking for. Slouching against Stefan, she dropped her arms with a sigh, "Again, I fail to see how anyone could consider pain a gift."

Peter chuckled slightly, "But Sugar, that's why you're mated to Dracula. To get to you, they have to go through him first." She looked at him at that making him smirk, "You have always been fascinated by those stories. Do you recall a single one that he was not the victor?" She didn't say word to that making Peter snicker, "Well, I know more of them than you do and neither have I."

Still slouched, Bella asked the question that Stefan himself was curious about. "So, you're saying that my hearing will never become less of a bitch?"

Giving her a sympathetic look, Peter shook his head slightly, "'fraid not, Sugar. Sorry, but you are just going to have to learn to deal with it as is." Face tuning amused after that, "think of this part though, once word gets out that you're the mate of Dracula, the threats will decline quickly since no one is stupid enough to go against him unless they want to die."

Glaring at him, Bella sneered, "But until then…"

Getting cut off once again by a snort, "You just have to deal."

Crossing her arms with a huff, "Perfect. Stefan lives to piss off others. Oh, what fun I'm gonna have."

Snickering, Peter said nothing to that knowing that the poor little lady was in for a hell of a time in the coming future. Stefan had a lot of enemies already that would just LOVE to get their hands on his mate. All giggling and rubbing his hands together, Peter was looking forward to the fun. He loved being her silent protector when she was little and looked forward to being it once again. The things he killed in the past were way more fun than the war he was in since the opponent changed nearly every time. What was more, this time he was going to have his major back which was only going to add to the fun times ahead.

Stefan rubbed his mate's back and pulled her closer to him, also not liking the implications in Peter's warning. He was aware that the little fucker had this ability to just know shit and had every intention of asking him about this, but it would have been his preference to not have an audience for it. There was information in his explanation that Stefan didn't want certain others to have and now they did. Looking from his sulking mate to Peter, he was surprised to see him looking at him with an amused light in his eyes and a smirk on his face. All Peter did was tap his temple before turning away and moving to his coven leader and promptly got a smack to the back of the head when he was within Jasper's reach. Shaking his head, Stefan finally understood why the poor bastard seemed to have brain damage. He was constantly hit in the head.

*X*

Rubbing the back of his head with a glare on his face Peter growled, "So nice to see you again too fucker. I very much doubt I deserved that this time."

Crossing his arms, Jasper cocked a brow before nodded to Bella. "There was absolutely no need to scare her like that, asshat. She has enough to deal with currently, don't ya think?"

Glare not softening in the slightest, "What, you would rather her not know the truth of the matter? To you she's an entertaining newborn, to me, she's closer to family meaning I care about her too you son of a bitch. I spent years keeping her ass out of trouble and safe and not once lied or sugar coated anything. She always knew where she stood. The only thing I never told her was that I was vampire and she was going to be one, one day too. Do not, ever, think for a second that I would stand back and allow anything to happen to her because she didn't have all the information. She might be Lord Stefan's mate, but she was MY Sugar first. Why in the fuck do you think I taught her to defend herself? There will be times that she will have to fight her way out of something and I wanted to make sure she could, which was more than you ever did for her, ya dick."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jasper considered his words a moment before shrugging, "Well you're right about one thing. She did need to know, I guess. But there had to be a better delivery option than that. Jesus, she was petrified."

Looking over his shoulder at the female in question, he just thought she looked pathetic, sulking like that. He was positive he taught her better than that. Turning back to Jasper, "Sometimes, Major, the most direct route is the best choice. Besides, I know her WAY better than you do. She's a tough little cookie, trust me. She is going to be just fine. Give her a few minutes and that poutiness thing she's got going on will give way to anger and everything will once again be right in the world." Glancing at the Cullen's that were not, in anyway, even attempting to not listen to their conversation, he smirked, "So, my little Sugar aside for now, what are you going to do about them? Gonna step in and save the day, Major?"

Jasper snorted, "Fuck em. They wouldn't be in the mess they are had they listened to me a year ago and stayed the fuck away from her, or hell, days ago when I told them to." Tilting his head to the side in thought, "Wow, you would think that if you were told something by someone you KNOW doesn't give two shits about what happens to you TWICE, they would eventually listen to the warning." Shrugging, "Oh well, not really my problem now is it?"

Peter, the snarky little bastard he is, put his hand on Jasper's shoulder and brought his finger to his lips, "Shh, did you hear that?"

Looking at him with a raised brow, "No, what?"

Peter looked over at Bella and winked when she looked over to him, face showing her confusion because she didn't hear anything either. Looking back at Jasper, "That was the sound of your balls dropping, my friend. Welcome back Major, the world was lost without you."

Batting Peter's hand off him, he shoved the asshat away, even as he chuckled. "You're a dick."

Catching his balance, Peter shrugged, "Yes, but you raised me so what the fuck are you?"

Face palming, Jasper groaned to stop from laughing. "Tell me again why I didn't kill you when I had the chance?"

Clasping his hands together and batting his lashes, Peter spoke in a babyish voice, "Cause you're my daddy and you love me."

Choking on a bark of laughter, Jasper gave him the finger not having anything other than that at the ready to come back with. It had been far too long since he was around Peter for an extended period of time and it could take a few days to get used to him and his bitchass again. Shaking his head slightly, he snorted, "I swear, I'm going to kill you."

Dropping his jaw in mock surprise, his raised his voice a few octaves and whined "But, but, I love you daddy! Please, not the belt again! I'll be a good boy, daddy, I promise."

Bella was laughing so hard that had she still been human, she would have tears falling down her face and on the verge of pissing herself. Jasper, however, was less amused at him continually calling him daddy. He told him nearly a century ago to knock that shit off and his hatred of the name had not waned over the years. If anything, it grew since it had been a while since Peter got in the mood to purposely piss him off.

Growling low in his chest, Jasper bit out, "I fucking mean it Peter, knock it off."

Smirking and deciding to push that button just a little more, Peter switched languages just for shits and giggles. "Ma face sa tată. Esti din practică, eu nu sunt."

It came with no warning to anyone else, but Peter saw it a mile away and was ready for Jasper's snarl and subsequent attack. However, just because you're ready for the storm does not mean you can handle it. Jasper had Peter pinned to the ground face first by his hair with his knee in his back in less than ten seconds. Dipping his head to speak in Peter's ear, he spoke in the same language Peter chose to use. "Din practică cu gura ta, poate, dar niciodată din practive în lovind fund. Sună-mă tata din nou şi vă voi distruge. Ai o pula?"

Nodding with his nose pressed to the floor, Peter relented, "Yeah, got it Major."

Bella was staring at the two of them with wide eyes. She understood some of what was said, but most of it she couldn't translate. Looking up at Stefan, who had his face dropped in his hand and shaking his head at the scene, she whispered, "I didn't catch all that. What'd they say?"

Lifting his head slightly, Stefan looked at his mate and blinked, "Hmm? Oh, nothing important. Just the same shit they always say to each other when Peter decides to be an ass. Don't worry about it Darling."

Pouting so hard that her bottom lip was sticking out, Bella whined in her throat before pressing him for a full translation. "I'm not worried. But I am curious. Come on, what'd they say?"

Leaning on his elbow, Stefan placed his chin in his palm with a sigh, "Come now darling, don't pout. Do you really care what was said?" She nodded and smiled at him making him snort at her actions. "Very well, in response to Jasper telling him to knock it off, Peter said, and I quote, 'Make me daddy. You're out of practice, I'm not'. That was when Jasper attacked. When Jasper spoke, he said and I quote, "Out of practice with your mouth, perhaps, but never out of practice in kicking your ass. Call me daddy again and I will destroy you. Got it, Dick?' There, your full translation. Remind me at a later time to teach you my native tongue. You're going to need to know it in the future since I will not always be able to translate for you."

Nodding to him, Bella raised a hand and rubbed her ears when the noise that stopped started up again and closed her eyes, "Sure, no problem."

Raising a brow at the action he was quickly beginning to recognize, "What is it Darling?"

Opening her eyes a little, she cleared her throat a bit, "The mice have turned to elephants."

Blinking at her, not really understanding what the hell she meant by that, he pursed his lips, "I beg your pardon?"

Jasper gave one last shove at Peter's head before letting go and looking to Stefan. "She said something to that effect right before the side of barn exploded when that coven showed up, yesterday. It means whoever she hears is close enough for us to hear and/or sense as well. I can pinpoint Aro's exact location now and he is only minutes away if he stays as fast as he's moving."

Humming his understanding, he turned his attention back to Bella, rubbing her back to sooth her, "Calm yourself Darling. Everything will be just fine."

Peter chuckled as he was hit with the knowledge of what was to come. The king of fuck all was about to be in for one hell of a surprise and the Cullen's were, to put it only a way he could pull off, royally fucked.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Peter watched as Bella whimpered and pressed her face into Stefan's chest. It didn't take a genius to know she was in a lot of pain, but it did take a special brand of intuition to know that she needed to be removed from the room for the beginning of this confrontation or it was only going to get worse. Aro was pissed and if he saw her right off the bat, the king of fuck all will damage her eardrums permanently.

Taking it upon himself, he again slithered up to Bella's side and tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned to look at him, he had to bite back the sympathy whimper that wanted to jump up his throat at the pain in her eyes. Giving himself a mental shake, he put on his trademark smirk, "Hey there Sugar, what would you say if I told you I had a surprise for you?"

Cocking a brow at him knowing that trick as well as she did, Bella narrowed her eyes, "I'm not in mood for your personal brand of fuckery right now Peter, really, really not."

Sighing in a dramatic way, Peter turned away and crossed his arms. "Well, fine then. I'll guess Char will just have to return the outfit she spent so much time looking for. She is going to be so disappointed."

Picking her head up, she still had her eyes narrowed because she knew there was something off about this. She knew that because there is ALWAYS something off with Peter. "You didn't say it was from Char." Eyes narrowing more even as it felt like her eyes were going to explode, "What are you playing at Peter?"

Stefan looked at the asshole, wondering much the same thing. "Yes, what are you doing?"

No one can pull off the fake innocence look like Peter. He had the full market on that shit. "Nothing, we had just thought that since it had been years since we saw the little lady, that she might like to know that we never stopped thinking about her, that's it. For once I am not playing at anything." Looking to Stefan and his face turning serious, Peter stressed the point he was trying to make. "Trust me, My Lord she will be perfectly safe with us, and will be returned to you just as she is now." Lifting a brow, he waited for Stefan to catch on.

Now, Stefan has known this vampire for nearly as long as Peter has been one and never once had he ever pushed him like he was currently. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he looked down at his mate, the scent of curiosity swirling around her. Closing his eyes, he sighed lightly before looking Peter dead in the eye, "One hair out of place and there will be nowhere on the planet you will be able to hide."

Nodding, Peter smirked, "Should she befall any danger under my protection, I won't even fight back."

Baring his teeth, Stefan growled, "I highly suggest you watch your tongue."

Peter held his arm out for Bella to take and smiled at her when she did before looking back to Stefan, "That was not meant as it sounded, My Lord." Glancing at his mate, Peter gave a subtle gesture to her before leading Bella from the room, tossing an arm over Char's shoulder when she caught back up to him.

Vladimir held the piece of parchment Charlotte handed him hidden from view, waiting until the irritating vampire was a safe distance from the room with Stefan's mate before glancing at it, reading it quickly before calling Stefan's attention to him and crushing the paper to dust in his hand. Once he had it, he lowered his voice and whispered the message to him, explaining to him the whole point of Peter removing Isabella from the room and the instructions left behind to insure her continued protection once she was returned.

Stefan's chin was between his thumb and forefinger, his eyes looking to the door briefly before sliding to the wall where the Major was leaning casually. Jasper lifted his eyes from the floor and locked with his for less than a second before going back to the ground bringing a smirk to Stefan's lips. It would appear that this game wasn't quite over with after all.

Jasper fingered the short message in his hand that Peter slipped him when they were rolling around on the floor. He had to hand it to him; Peter was a fucking genius sometimes. Though Jasper would be the first to tell you that it was mostly dumb luck there were times that things fell into place perfectly for the little bastard. This was one of them. Peter knew how much he hated it when he called him daddy and if he did it enough times that he would attack. He just had to push him far enough. If he wanted to pass along a message like this that no one else was supposed to know about, that was really the only way to do it and not be seen. Jasper was fast and there were very few that could follow his movements, but Peter knew him well enough to time it perfectly and not have the paper destroyed in the process of handing it over. Giving the message a once more over, Jasper obliterated it in his palm leaving nothing, not even dust to say it even ever existed. The instructions were simple enough but the execution was going to be a little tougher. Jasper doubted very much Peter took a few things into account, however the jackass had never steered him wrong before and Jasper had always listened when Peter told him something. This was not going to be any different and truth be told, the sheer entertainment it was going to bring made this worth it.

*X*

Peter led Bella through the halls, stopping only to ask Radu what he did with the package he gave him for Bella before leading her to her room. Once they were inside, Bella spotted her present on the bed and giggled lightly before pulling away from Peter and skipped to it.

Looking at the large box on the bed, she looked over her shoulder and smirked, "Thanks, now tell me what's really going on."

Crossing his arms, Peter smiled at her, "There is no way you remember me that well." Nodding to the box, "Open it Sugar, then we will have a little chat before I take you back to Satan."

Cocking a brow at him, Bella shrugged before turning back to the box and tearing into it like the little kid the two vampires remembered. When the many layers of paper were gone, Bella took off the lid and looked inside, eyes widening before she squealed and spun around to face Peter and Char, jumping up and down with her hands clasped together. "Holy fuck! You guys remembered!"

Giggling, Char nodded, "You told us all the time you wanted your own. There was no way we could have forgotten, even if we didn't have the memory we have." Waving at the box, she was just as excited as Bella to see her in them. "Well go on Darlin'. Try em on."

Smiling wide, Bella turned back to the box to do just that. Remembering what Stefan said about thinking of things as a bubble, she gently pulled out the boots and hat that sat amongst a sea of tissue paper. Setting the hat on the bed, she looked at her new cowboy boots, completely in awe at how beautiful they were. The leather was black and had different shades of darker pinks stitched into different designs from the ankle up, a metal cover over the toes and heel. Glancing back in the box, she saw a set of spurs sitting there, but instead of spikes, the wheels looked like a curled up dragon.

Setting them down, she picked up the hat with just as much care, running her fingers over the edge. The hat too was mostly black but the bands that ran around the rim and the actual hat was her favorite color of pink ever. It was the kind of pink that if you looked at it long enough, when you looked away everything took on a green tint. It had been her favorite color since she was six and had been ever since.

Looking over at Peter and Char, Bella had wide eyes. "You guys didn't have to do this."

Peter smiled at her, "Your point? Just say thank you and put them on."

Smiling even wider, Bella jumped at the chance. Giving herself a quick glace first, she would have blushed if she could. The top wasn't all that bad, she actually really liked it, but the skirt, not so much. Even with Stefan's cloak still around her, she was still wearing next to nothing. Giggling slightly, she rubbed the back of her neck, "Um, just give me a second to put on some pants first."

Peter, ever the smartass gentleman, snorted but he still turned around to face the door while Bella and Char went over to Bella's wardrobe, Bella to grab a pair of jeans and Char because she wanted to see what kind of clothing the rich and famous wore these days.

Bella flipped through the pants and smiled wide when she found her favorite pair of jeans, that were in her suitcase from home, hanging up. They were boot cut, low riding, well worn, had holes everywhere and were fucking comfortable. Grabbing them, her black studded belt and a pair of socks, she left Char to continue to molest her clothes and went behind the screen to change. She didn't have any trouble putting on the pants or belt, but she used to force and put her foot right through the bottom of her sock. "God damn it."

Bella heard Peter chuckle and glared at him though the screen for a second before chuckling herself when she heard the telltale sound of him getting hit in the head. A second later, Char appeared next to her with another pair of socks and helped her put them on, a fond smile on her face. "Don't worry about it, cutie pie. I still rip shit apart on accident occasionally when I get dressed. It happens to everyone." Pressing her lips together to suppress a wider smile, "Why don't you let me help you with the boots too? You know, just to be on the safe side. If you break those, it will take a while to replace em."

Shoulders slouching slightly, Bella nodded and stood up to follow Char back into the room only to be stopped by Charlotte's hands on her shoulders. Looking at her, Bella blinked at the emotions on her face. Charlotte knew she was upset, but this was normal. "You listen to me now, Dumplin. You're a newborn vampire, our race's equivalent of a little baby. Just like human babes, you have to learn and it is up to those older than you to teach you and make sure that you are properly raised. Also like them human babies, it takes time. Don't get down on yourself over a pair of socks, youngen, they ain't worth it." Tapping her under the chin, "Now, you pick that head back up and walk like I know I taught you. There ain't a damn thing on the ground that is that interesting."

Smiling at the vampire in front of her, Bella giggled, "Sorry Char."

Smiling back, "Ain't nothin' to be sorry for, Little Lady. Now, let's get them boots on you. I only had Peter to go on when I had them made and I want to be sure they fit right."

*X*

Jasper cleared his throat to keep from giggling like a girl when he was hit with the amusement of the three missing vampires. He had no idea what was so damn funny but if he wasn't in on the joke; he didn't really want to laugh about it.

Shaking his head, he glanced at the door when the emotions of Aro and the group he had with him reached the front door. Looking to Stefan, he shot him with the emotions he was feeling drawing the Romanian's attention to him. Tilting his head to the door, he told him without words that Aro had finally arrived bringing an excited spark to Stefan's eyes and sinister smile to his face.

'This is going to be fantastic'. Nodding to Jasper to show him his understanding, he turned to Vladimir as he pulled his phone from his pocket and sent out the message he had at the ready. "Let the games begin."

Vladimir glanced at him and smirked. This was turning into quite the spectacle and one he was proud to be a part of. While this was a long time coming confrontation between them and Aro, it was the added newborn that was going to bring this to a whole new level. According to Peter, Aro was highly pissed off and the removal of Isabella was necessary to insure her safety from his coming tantrum. Vladimir was perfectly aware how sensitive her hearing was and should Aro really get going and raise his voice too loud, Peter was concerned about permanent damage to her ears. When he didn't immediately see the girl, Aro would settle and spin some tale about personally searching for the missing humans and his search had brought him to their home as all other leads were to a dead end.

Peter would be returning with Isabella as Aro was speaking to Carlisle about his presence here. That was where the message ended, saying nothing else but sit back and enjoy. He had heard the lady get pissed off and her mouth run away from her so he couldn't wait for showdown to begin. The young female could talk you in bigger circles and make even less sense than even Aro could and that fucker was a master at that, perfecting and honing that skill over eons. Isabella had that down beautifully in just eighteen short years. Not only that, she had a mouth to rival even Stefan's making this a show he wouldn't miss for anything.

Hearing the footfalls of the group of vampires coming closer to their location within the palace, Stefan shifted and straightened his spine, sitting tall and head held high as the doors in front of him were opened and the little bitch and his band of merry idiots filed in.

Aro's eyes shifted, taking in the scene before him, accounting for all present before turning to the two bastards sitting on thrones like they actually deserve to. When he realized he knew everyone present and there were no new additions, he growled low and narrowed his eyes on Stefan. This was not what he had expected to walk into. He was positive that there was going to be a band of newborns to deal with, but everyone there was well over a century old. Squaring his shoulders, he crossed his arms when Stefan stood, that same fucking smirk on his face that he wore nearly 500 years ago when he last saw him.

Stefan took a few steps forward and spread his arms wide. If you didn't personally know the man, it would look like a proper greeting of someone of power, but if you looked at his eyes, there was a demonic amusement dancing in the red depths that belied the words and tone to his voice when he spoke. "Well, now, to what do us lowly little insignificant vampires owe the esteem pleasure of our king's presence here today? Had I know you were coming, I would have had you escorted, but I was told you wouldn't be here for nearly a week."

Eyes narrowed into slits, Aro hummed. "I have taken a personal interest in the vanishing of a group of American humans. All other leads I have found have led nowhere but dead ends and circles that are pointless to follow. Their destination after leaving Italy was here. I have come to inquire if you have any knowledge of them or their arrival to your territory."

Tapping his finger to his lips, Stefan bit back the chuckle, but only barely. After a moment, he simply shrugged, "My most sincere apologies, Aro, but I do not have any recollection of them coming here, though I did hear of their disappearance. Unfortunately, much of the palace has been closed to tours, this room included so had they come I wouldn't have seen them personally. Perhaps, if you can tell me when it was they were said to be here, I can have the logs from that time brought here for you to check for yourself since I know you won't simply take my word for it."

Lips thinning and growling louder because he had to play nice due to the audience, Aro nodded. "That would be wonderful, thank you for your cooperation in this matter."

Smiling in the most condescending way he could muster, Stefan bowed low to the floor, one hand on his abs with the other thrown out to the side. "It is my humble pleasure but to serve you, My Lord. Anything else you require, Master Aro?"

Snarling slightly, Aro bit back the snide remark to the show Stefan was putting on. Ruler or not, he was in another, well known and very respected vampire's territory and things could turn very wrong, very fast should he remove the son of a bitch's head from his shoulders. Huffing a growl, Aro shook his head slightly, "No, just your documentation of human activity here for the last month, if you don't mind."

Standing up, Stefan crossed his arms, his smirk still in place. Waving to Felix, "If you go to the left of the front doors at the end of the hall last door to the right you will find our record vault. Help yourself to anything you think Master Aro will be interested in seeing." Looking back to Aro, he flashed his teeth and locked eyes, "I have nothing to hide."

Felix glanced at Aro after he was sure that the amusement was gone from his eyes. At the nod from Aro, Felix bowed and swept from the room, looking the direction the scent trails of two older vampires and a newborn went with a raised brow, wondering why Aro didn't order that checked out, before shrugging and heading off to collect the useless records he was sent to receive.

Aro glared at the still smirking vampire before turning to Carlisle and his coven, or family if you ask the idiot, with a raised brow. "Carlisle Cullen, this is an… interesting surprise. It has been quite a long time my old friend."

Clearing his throat, Carlisle nodded, "It has Aro. How are you?"

Reaching up and rubbing a temple as he glanced back at Stefan and Vladimir, "I will admit I have been better." Moving closer to the coven, "Might I ask about your presence here? As an Italian ally, this would not have been a place I would have thought to see you and your… family once again. Especially with the current crisis and ongoing investigation into it."

Gulping at the darkening of Aro's voice, Carlisle took a tiny step back. "It was not our intention to garner your suspicion of involvement. I assure you, no one in my family has anything to do with this, nor have any of us broken any rules. It was unfortunate timing on our part in coming here. We were simply passing through and as a visiting coven; it was owed on our part to inform the controller of the territory that we were here."

There was a snort that turned into a bark of laughter behind Aro. "Oh, what the fuck? Please tell me you're not buying that sack of shit. I saw your garden, but even you don't need that much fertilizer."

Blinking at the voice, Aro glanced over his shoulder, a spark of recognition in his eyes. Turning to face her fully, "Isabella, now this is truly a shock." Looking at Stefan, a triumphant smile settled on his face. "Nothing to hide, huh?"

Chuckling in his throat, Stefan shook his head, "Not a damn thing." Looking to his mate that had changed and looked quite adorable in the southern garb, he held a hand out to her, "Come to me my love."

Winking at Aro, Bella skipped across the floor and plopped down in Stefan's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek before looking back at Aro with a cocked brow daring him to say something. Peter had explained everything to her back in her room and told her that Aro was there but there was nothing he could do to her or Stefan because of the bond they had, much like the challenge being called off. Then he told her to just have fun and be herself once they returned to the throne room. That was something she was looking forward to. She just had to wait for the opening to do it.

Once his mate was settled in his lap, where she belonged, Stefan raked his fingers over the still exposed mark on her hip and nuzzled the mark that made her his on her neck making her giggle, his eyes locked on Aro's surprised orbs. "I have no need to hide my mate nor will I. However, just because I have nothing to hide from you does not mean that no one else here does." Looking over at the Cullen's, Stefan smiled, "Is that not right, Carlisle?"

Eyes darkening to black, Aro snarled, "What is the meaning of this?"

Standing and placing Bella on the seat, Stefan caressed her cheek before turning to the extremely pissed off vampire 'king'. "Your own law states that should a vampire find their mate in a human, no means to acquire said mate are out the question, all life lost is justifiable and goes without punishment. When you asked if I saw the Americans, I didn't. I saw my mate and those that stood in my way to obtain her. You came here to find the missing humans but you couldn't because not only are they not here, they are not humans any longer. They are nothing but corpses, scattered across the land."

Crossing his arms, the smirk on Stefan's face turned sinister again, "If you are looking to dish out justice over this, you cannot. Everything I did was within the guidelines of your laws so there is literally nothing you can do. However, perhaps you can help Carlisle and I settle a dispute about something. What happens to a vampire that designs to steal the mate of another or force the female to go against the wishes of the one that claimed her?"

Glaring at Stefan, Aro cocked a brow, "It is not my job to defend your mate."

Bella heard a throat being cleared and took that as her cue, "But, if you're REALLY the king, then it most certainly is. As the big, strong ruler of an entire race, would it not be your job to ensure that the laws are followed to a t?" Feeling a room of eyes on her, she looked at Aro and gave him the same look she did the last time she called him out. "Plus, I don't recall him asking you to defend me. All he did was ask about the consequence if someone did something incredibly stupid and attempted to steal his mate."

Carlisle growled slightly, "No one did any such thing. The proper challenge was called and it was Stefan that broke the rules to it."

Slowly turning her head, she gave him a flat look and kept her voice even. "Tell me, was the challenge called before or after your kidnapping attempt failed?" Shaking her head in mock disappointment, she astonished, "really, using the promise of a hunt and blood against a newborn." Looking back to Aro, who looked like he was going to choke on his tongue, she cocked her head to the side. "Now, as previously stated, you're the big strong king, I am a newborn that is still learning the rules of this life and as a newborn, I have to rely on the older, more experienced vampires to make sure I am raised properly and turn into a productive member of society." Smiling in way that Aro was reminded of Stefan in WAY too many ways when there was a snort, Bella continued. "Since you swept in and STOLE ruling rights, it is your pleasure to make sure that all under your rule know both the laws and punishments for breaking them. I don't know them yet so guess what, since they are your laws, you get to explain this to me. If someone were to try and steal me from Stefan, how is that handled?"

Crossing his arms, Aro glared at the impertinent little shit. Growling slightly, he responded with, "Should someone attempt to steal the mate of another vampire, without going through the proper channels, the one to do so is punished by one the one who marked her. In the case of someone attempting to kidnap you, it would be Stefan Ce Mare that handled the transgression. Is that clear enough for you?"

Looking at Edward, Bella's eyes darkened but sparked with a vengeful malice. "What if they already had a transgression against them?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, "There is nothing a vampire can do that would trump the attempt of stealing the mate of another."

Cocking her head to the side, she inquired, "Not even the threat of exposure?"

Aro's eyes snapped to the female that looked to have an actual interest in the answer. There was actual curiosity in her eyes that Aro could pick out even amongst the other, darker emotions in there. Clasping his hands behind his back Aro looked at the Cullen coven, that were trying to make themselves very small at the moment. "That depends, Isabella, on the level the threat of exposure was."

Crossing her legs, Bella leaned forward and put her elbow on her knee and her chin in her palm and draped the other across her lap. "If one dated a human for say, nearly a year and in that time did some really odd things in front of the human's eyes? How high of a risk would you say that is and would the mating issue still trump it?"

Looking back at the Cullen's, "It sounds to me like you're speaking from experience, Isabella? Am I right?"

She shrugged and leaned back, crossing her arms, "let's call it hypothetical for the moment. What trumps what then?"

Tisking slightly and clicking his tongue, Aro responded, "It would depend on the human at that point, actually. If there was suspicion on the human's part, it could override the mating issue. Was there any in this hypothetical situation of yours."

She gave him a flat look and cocked her head to the side, "Come on, does it really matter?"

Aro actually shook his head, "Not really, no. If a vampire is an exposure risk they cannot be allowed to continue to exist. Should the exposure risk then attempt to take the mate of another, I would hand them over to the male they tried to steal from. It is an extremely painful event for the female to go against a mating bond, no matter the strength of it and to force that on a lady is the lowest thing any male can do to a female since she wouldn't have the needed strength to fight him off."

Humming in her throat, Bella nodded slowly, "So, if I understand this right, all responsible parties in the attempt would be handed over to the male they tried to steal from?" Aro nodded to her and she tapped her chin, "What about if, the attempt to take her failed and someone called a mating rights challenge but they were not the one that participated?"

Aro cocked a brow, "That wouldn't be an actual challenge. Only the one that actually wants the female can call one."

Smiling again, Bella giggled. "Alright, but what if no one actually wanted her and the challenge was called anyways just to force the female into the submission of another?"

Both brows going to his hairline, Aro snorted, "I beg your pardon? If that was the case I truly hope the male of the pair destroys them in the most painful way possible. Again, breaking a mating bond is extremely painful to the female and if it was to simply force her submission that is a creature that does not deserve to live, period."

Eyes sparking and smile growing, "No matter whom it is that did it or the reason behind it?"

There was actual malice in Aro's eyes this time when he shook his head, "There is no reason good enough to simply torture a female and that is what that would be considered, I don't care who it is."

Plopping back against the back of the seat, Bella winked at Edward and Carlisle before looking back at Aro, "Well, I'm good. Thanks for clearing that up. Now, one last thing."

Cocking a brow at her, Aro nodded, "Yes?"

Giving Aro the biggest eyes she could, fear entering them and replacing everything else, she pointed to Carlisle. "Ha chiamato una sfida e ha cercato di costringermi a essere compagno di Edward e Edward è il mio ex ragazzo da quando ero umana e ha fatto tutta questa merda strano che non capivo, ma mi ha spaventato fuori comunque e quando abbiamo rotto Edward mi ha chiamato tutti questi nomi brutto e poi ho dovuto cambiare classi e per questo che ero in Italia e perché i miei amici sono morti e perché non posso mai vedere il mio papà e poi di nuovo Carlisle ha cercato di rapire me dicendo che voleva portarmi da caccia e stava per costringermi a bere da animali, anche se Stefan mi vuole bere da esseri umani e ho sentito dire che in un modo o nell'altro stavo andando ad unirsi alla sua congrega e lui non importa quante regole ha dovuto becco per farlo e poi ha detto che Edward chiamato una sfida per l'accoppiamento e diritti Edward ha detto che non voleva, ma Carlisle ha detto che era l'unico modo in cui risolvere tutto è andato storto e ho sentito dire che Alice gli ha promesso un'altra figlia e lui stava per farla, anche se doveva costringerla a vedere le cose la sua strada e lui stava parlando di me e io non voglio!" Finishing in a wail, she dropped her face into her hands, whines and whimpers coming from her and her shoulders shook from the fake sobs that sure as hell sounded real. And the Cullen's said she couldn't act.

Aro was standing there blinking at the female as the scent of actual fear grabbed at his nose, surprised by both the sincerity of the emotion and the use of his native tongue. Turning to look at Stefan, he found him glaring at the Cullen's as he tried to calm the lady back down and get her to settle. Looking to Carlisle, his eyes were still slightly wide, "Is what she said true, that you attempted to force the submission of a mated female and a member of your coven nearly exposed our race to a human?"

Taking a step backwards, Carlisle held his hands up, "Now, do you really think I would do such a thing or that I would allow a member of my family to do something like that? She is Stefan's mate and will say whatever he tells her to. The use of Italian proves it. That had to have been taught to her very recently."

Sensing the nervousness in the vampire, Aro held out a hand to him, "Than clear your name. Allow me to see for myself that you are innocent of these very serious accusations." When Carlisle made no move to touch him, Aro sighed, "I will kill you now should you force me to touch a Romanian to get the truth."

Bella heard a lightly cleared throat, and took the cue. Lifting her head, she sniffled before calling to Carlisle, "Jesus, if you're going to be a dick the least you can do is own up to that shit, fucker. I thought you were a preacher's son."

Carlisle snarled slightly at that. Growling quietly in his chest, "What about you?"

She cocked a brow at him, "What about me? I'm the only innocent party here. Even Stefan is not without sin in this but the point is, he owned up to what HE did, you're trying to save your own ass by passing the blame on someone else." sneering at him, "who's the bitter one now fuckhead?"

Knowing he was dead no matter what at this point, Carlisle decided to go out fighting for once. He was so sick of playing everything by the book and getting nothing out of it. It was time to stand up and behave like the vampire he was. Eyes pitch black, he snarled loud, missing the look that passed through Bella's eyes as he shot towards her. He didn't make it three steps before he found a fist in his face and his nose shattered into rubble as he flew backwards into a wall.

Stefan sighed as the room shook and debris rained down from the rafters and large boulders fell in large chunks from the hole that was formed. His palace was centuries old and was a bitch to repair. Standing and tapping his foot, he glared at the vampire that was pushing rocks and wood from his chest. Stefan was going to take great pleasure in killing that jackass.

Carlisle sat up and growled, looking around for the one that hit him, eyes growing at the sight of Jasper standing there, his fist still in the air. He didn't get the words out, but the confusion that he felt asked Jasper for him. Cocking a brow at him, he crossed his arms. "No one attacks a lady in my presence. Try that shit again and I will break more than your nose."

Narrowing his eyes at the empath, Carlisle took the hand that appeared not taking the second to see who it was first. Getting to his feet, he tried to let go only for the hand to tighten around his. Looking over, Carlisle gaped at Aro as the vampire searched his memories for the truth to the accusations against him and his family.

Shaking his head with a snort, Aro let go of the dead man walking. Looking Carlisle in the eyes, he smirked, "You poor bastard." Turning to Stefan, Aro didn't even try to quiet the groan before he spoke. "They are all yours." Looking to his guard, he jerked his head, telling them they were leaving. Right before he quit the room, Aro swallowed his pride and turned to the vampire he hated more than anything in the world. "Stefan," When the vampire in question glanced at him, he cleared his throat, "congratulations on your mating." Smirking now, "Perhaps she will prove enough of a distraction that you will leave me the fuck alone."

The look that settled on Stefan's face clearly told him just how stupid the Romanian thought the Italian was for even suggesting such a thing. "On the contrary, I intend to have her help from now on." Holding up a finger, Stefan called out before Aro left the hall, "Do be sure to leave my territory as you found it this time. I do not destroy yours, show me the same courtesy."

Turning to look at him over his shoulder, Aro cocked a brow, "You fed in my city."

Cocking his head to the side, "Did I now? And, can you prove it?"

Turning back around to face him fully, Aro crossed his arms, "Do I need to?"

Smiling and showing his teeth, Stefan held up a hand, "Better question, do you really want to?"

Gagging at the mere thought of touching the bastard, Aro scrunched up his face in disgust, "No, not really."

Smirking, Stefan chuckled, "what is wrong Aro? Afraid of what you might see or find beyond doubt that you only have and continue to hold your title because I allow it?"

Aro snorted, "Were that the case, anyone that wished to could dethrone me. It is not your past that I fear, Romanian, but what I could catch by touching you."

Shrugging, Stefan lowered his hand and placed it on his mate's shoulder, "Suit yourself." Aro turned away again Stefan called out one more time knowing that his game was far from finished, stiffening the exiting vampire to a statue for a moment. "See you again soon Aro."

A shudder worked its way down Aro's spine at the thinly veiled threat as a quiet groan worked its way up his throat. He knew that Stefan wasn't joking, that he would be seeing the pain in his ass soon. However, as he could currently do nothing about it, he squared his shoulders and left the hall to the front door with his head held as high as he could.

Before he got to the main door, he was brought to a stop from hearing his named called. Turning to the side, he cocked a brow at the human turned vampire that had made his life a living hell for the last week. He watched as she bit her lip and looked at something in her hand before lifting her eyes to his. He saw in her eyes the fight she was putting up to not attack him and his guard and it was a commendable effort on her part. Cocking a brow at her as she sighed, he waited for her to get her instincts in check and to the point as he saw both Peter Whitlock and Stefan come to stand a few steps behind her.

Bella looked at the item in her hand one more time before deciding on what she was going to do. Taking one more deep breath and getting herself under control, she locked her eyes on Aro's. "I am going to assume that it's my dad on the front lines looking for me and my friends. I can say with certainty that he won't stop until he finds me." Looking at the chain in her hand another long moment, she held her hand out to him, "it's up to you to figure out how, but if he finds this, he'll call the search off."

Aro looked at the newborn a long moment before looking at the necklace in her hand. Cocking his head to the side, "You're ending Stefan's game, then?"

Bella smirked at him, "What game? This isn't about a pissing contest between you and Stefan. The game you're talking about is already over and you lost; deal with it. This is about me and my dad and him getting closure and moving on with his life. If you prefer to have him continue to run amuck in Italy when I'm nowhere near there, that's your choice. I was trying to be nice here and give you a way to stop him because without visible and concrete proof I'm dead he's not going to stop looking. I didn't do a fucking thing to get into the position I'm in and if you're going to demand the respect and worship and whatever else from me by calling yourself my king, you must first EARN the title by acting like it. A king is there for his people not the other way around no matter how much you want it to be." A sour expression overtook her face as she slid the family heirloom into her back pocket, shaking her head and turning away from the stunned vampire, giving him one more stab, "You don't deserve the respect you demand and I hope my dad burns you."

Bella couldn't believe the single mindedness of the stupid prick. You would think that if someone handed you the perfect way out of a tight spot that there was no way out of otherwise, that someone would take it with a thank you and a smile. Well, if he wanted to be an ass, she could be a bitch. She would give her father the closure he needed to move on but, as much as it pained her to do it, she was going wait a little longer just to prove two very important lessons to the so-called vampire king; no one fucked with her without consequence and she got her stubbornness from her daddy. You don't have the rank in the law field he did or have the connections he has by giving up in a few days. Her daddy would turn Aro's world upside down for years to come, until the day he died without a little intervention from her and her offer was in no way open ended. He blew the only chance he had and she was looking forward to seeing her daddy royally piss the jackass off when he ripped that fucking palace apart. Someone needed to learn a few things about humans and their attachments to their children and there was no one better to play teacher than a human. Her daddy was going to make Aro rue the day he took over the position of power.

When she reached Peter and Stefan, she glared over her shoulder at the vampire that was still standing there and shook her head. Taking Stefan's offered arm, she looked up at him with a spark in her eye that Stefan found most intriguing, pulled on his arm so he would bend to her level and she whispered, "Let the games begin."


	18. Chapter 18

**Epilogue**

 _Here I stand,  
helpless and left for dead_

Bella stayed crouched on a tree branch hidden in leaves and shadows overlooking a clearing that was in full bloom in the early summer sun. There was a look of resignation on her face and air of sadness surrounding her as she watched her father kneeling next to a body that could have been her twin. They had the same height, same hair, same everything, save one very important aspect; the body in the clearing was decomposing and smelled of rot and decay. She watched as a shaky hand reached out and moved the limp and dry hair from the neck and take hold of the golden locket that laid there. Eyes closing and throat tightening as she looked away from the sight of his tears, she bit her lip and whimpered softly so not to be heard.

 _Close your eyes, so many days go by.  
Easy to find what's wrong, harder to find what's right._

It had been three months since she and her classmates vanished off the face of the earth and all but three had been found, her included until now. She would have been a liar if she said she didn't thoroughly enjoy the repercussions that Aro faced over that time by her father. Four times her father and the other officers flipped and tore the palace apart looking for anything they might have missed, never finding anything but never giving up the hope that they would. The past three months went just as she said they would, that her father wouldn't give up on finding her without visible proof that she was gone and her daddy didn't disappoint. She would have drawn it out a little longer just to drive the point home to Aro that he was a fucking retard, but she couldn't do that to her father. She wanted him to have closure, to have a body, even if it wasn't really her, to bury.

 _I believe in you, I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies.  
I won't stay long, in this world so wrong._

So, she asked Stefan to do whatever he had to; she didn't care what it was at that point, to give him that. It took him a little longer than he would have liked to see to the request, but seeing the sheer and full dedication of her father to finding her, Stefan had to make sure that the replacement he found was as close to her as he could find and then make her look like she had been dead for months and leave as little behind to find the real identity of the body as he possibly could.

He had no problem admitting that he was beyond brutal with the handling of the girl, both dead and while she was still alive. His mate had been gone for a very long time and if this was going to be believable, the body couldn't very well be in pristine condition. The pre mortem injuries needed to be consistent with massive trauma to explain blood loss and the post mortem injuries needed to be consistent with ill care, mistreatment of a corpse and more time than passed than there really was. Using every skill he learned over the centuries he had been alive he was able to make a body that was dead for just over a week look like it had been dead for months. Some of his best work if you asked him.

 _Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight.  
Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the devil tonight._

Bella looked back at her father as he dropped back to his haunches, holding the locket she had worn every day for the last ten years but she wasn't completely sure he could see it. His eyes were glossy and distant, unfocused and flat. She bit her lip as a tremor ran her spine, the sight tearing at her black soul. She knew this was needed for him to move on, to go home and try to pick up the pieces of his now shattered heart but it didn't make it any easier to see or deal with. When she saw him look up, a gasp stole her breath as he seemed to look right at her, locking eyes and holding her hostage as she felt as if his feelings were hers as well.

 _Trembling, crawling across my skin.  
Feeling your cold dead eyes, stealing the life of mine._

The emotions in his eyes were of disbelief, of sheer horror at finding his worst fear come to fruition. She knew that until the proof was staring him in the face, he wouldn't believe it, wouldn't give up the hope that she was still alive and he would get her back. She wanted to die all over again as she watched her father die before her very eyes. She hated that it had to be this way, that she couldn't give him more than she was but there was nothing she could do.

 _I believe in you, I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies.  
I won't stay long, in this world so wrong._

This was the way it had to be if he was going to survive past this, live beyond this day and see his life to the end that was meant for him. She knew he could if he had this one thing. She might not have hated her life as she was. She might not have hated being mated to the devil himself. However, that didn't mean that she would want this for him. This life wasn't her choice, wasn't the path she wanted to walk to the end of eternity but this was her reality now. This was her choice, the only one she had and right or wrong, she made it with no regret, no shame as she watched her father crumble.

 _Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight.  
Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the devil tonight._

Bella watched her father close his eyes for the first time since he arrived on scene, holding the locket in a crushing grip to his chest.

 _Hold on._

She watched as his shoulders started to shake.

 _Hold on._

Stefan came slowly up to the tree that housed his mate, making no noise that would attract attention from the humans a quarter mile away or disturb his grieving mate. He leaned a shoulder on the truck and crossed his arms, watching as she watched the human that was falling apart at the seams over the discovery. He had done everything he could to give his mate this one thing, the closure that the man clearly needed over her death but wasn't dealing with well. He knew his mate was upset over the sight of her father but he didn't understand it. She knew the way things were, the way they had to be if she wanted him to live and die human. Call him an asshole if you choose, but this was nothing in the big picture. She was going to live to see many things worse than this. She was going to live to see him die, her mother pass, all the friends she ever had lose their lives to the humanity that hindered them. She had to know that the parents and friends of her victims went through this as well. He truly wondered what made this man worthy of her heartache when she never gave to this closure to the families of her meals. She was a monster with double standards as all vampires are. She wants for one what she will not give the next.

 _Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight.  
Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the devil tonight._

Bella knew Stefan was there but chose to ignore him for the moment, wanting to have this time between her and her father that she was never going to see again, that she found herself wishing she had forgotten during her change. Her heart was breaking for the man before her. She wanted to remember him as he was, not as he is but all her memories were foggy, as if they were someone else's. Had she put more thought into this, she would have realized that that was far better than the vision she was going to have to look back on for the rest of her days.

 _Hold on._

Stefan cocked his head to the side as his mate's father climbed to his feet, the necklace still held tightly to his chest, listening as he confirmed the body as his daughter. Both he and his mate watched as the body was slowly and carefully moved onto a tarp to be transported overseas for burial under a headstone that wasn't hers. To be placed in the ground so that all that knew the name engraved on stone could come and visit her, to be close to the person they thought was there.

 _Hold on._

Stefan looked up into the branches at his mate, the same expression on his face of unbelievability and boredom over the whole thing. Voice showing his feelings over this spectacle, "You are aware that this is the way it must be. Do you hold regret?" Nodding as his mate shook her head, Stefan pushed off the tree and turned away from the goings on, "Then shall we return home? There is much that still requires our attention."

Bella nodded and twisted a bit, glancing over her shoulder one last time at her father as the body was placed on the back of a truck before leaping off the branch and taking off after Stefan.

 _Good-bye._


End file.
